Mediterranean Linguine

This is a quick and easy dish to prepare that is very tasty. Easy to make on a week night and delicious enough to impress your guests on the weekend.. I found this recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks from the "Earls" restaurant. This recipe used to be a popular menu item and I can certainly see why. This was a winner with my family .

Mediterranean Linguine

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Step 1:

Mediterranean Tomato Sauce Ingredients:

1 Cup Whole San Marzano tomatoes( crushed with your fingers)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ Cup Olive Oil

⅓ Cup white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1-2 teaspoons red pepper chili flakes

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

NOTE: When you buy whole San Marzano tomatoes they come in a large 28 ounce can. For this recipe you need a cup. First pour the can contents in a bowl and squish the tomatoes with your fingers to break the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Then remove one cup for this recipe and use the remaining tomatoes for another recipe or freeze to use later. I buy my San Marzano tomatoes from a local Italian grocery store. You can use regular canned plum tomatoes but San Marzano are the best.  

Place all of the above ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Mediterranean Linguine Ingredients

Step 2:

1 lb dried linguine, uncooked

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 lb or 450 grams chicken breasts

1 ½ Cups grape or cherry tomatoes

¼ Cup chopped Kalamata olives

¼ Cup thinly sliced jarred roasted red peppers

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 Cup vegetable stock

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Mediterranean tomato sauce(recipe above)

¼ Cup chopped basil(chiffonade)

1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan  cheese

½ Cup Feta cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:




Chop chicken into bite size pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken until nice and golden brown. Remove chicken to a plate and continue cooking the rest of the chicken. Add the chicken from the plate back into the pan once the second batch is cooked.


Cook linguine according to package directions in salted water. Drain but do not rinse the noodles.


While pasta is cooking, add the grape tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers and garlic to the chicken and cook until the tomatoes have blistered slightly.


Stir the vegetable stock and the cornstarch together in a small bowl and add to the chicken mixture. Then add the Mediterranean tomato sauce to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly.


Add the drained, cooked pasta to the pan. Toss the noodles until well mixed.


Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese and basil. Mix well.


Pour mixture into a large serving platter and top with crumbled Feta cheese and parsley.

Print Recipe:Mediterranean Linguine

San Marzano tomatoes are the best.

Add one cup of tomatoes to a bowl. Add oregano.

Add olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon zest, red chili peppers and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Add some olive oil to pan and brown half the chicken until golden brown. Remove to a plate.

Continue browning and cooking the second batch.

Once all the chicken is cooked, add it all back into the pan.

While chicken is cooking. Cook the linguine according to package directions.

To the chicken add the olives, tomatoes, jarred roasted red peppers and garlic.

Stir the cornstarch into the vegetable stock.

Pour the vegetable stock mixture into the chicken mixture and stir to combine.

Then stir in the tomato sauce mixture.

Drain the noodles once cooked.

Stir in the noodles.

Romove the noodles from heat and pour into a large serving platter. Toss in Parmesan cheese and basil.

Top with crumbled Feta and chopped parsley.