Perhaps what is comforting to me may not be comforting to you, but how can you not find comfort from a dish that transports you back to the place you came from? How can you not find pleasure from the familiar scent of favorite food that reminds you of your childhood or your mom? That is what “comfort food” meant to me–until now.
The recipe that I’m about to share with you is none of those things. It’s not a recipe from my childhood or something my mom used to make. Most likely, these ingredients have met in a lot of other recipes before. There’s nothing unique about this recipe, and yet, in the past three months since we been making it, we have adored every bite of it every single time we gathered in our kitchen to eat it.
The smell of the garlic with olive oil, tomato, and cayenne pepper all stand out by themselves. They don’t compete but instead, seem to complement each other in a strange way. However, what I love the most is this recipe’s simplicity and how it becomes a different dish just by adding chicken or perhaps some fresh mozzarella just before serving it.
If you make it, I hope you find the same comfort we feel every time we eat it. Enjoy!
Fettuccine with Garlic and Tomatoes
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound uncooked fettuccine
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 (28-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 chicken breast (poached and thinly sliced) *
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese *
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat.
Add cayenne pepper, garlic and sugar; cook 2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Add tomatoes and salt to oil mixture; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat. Add spinach, cheese and cooked pasta; toss gently to coat and serve.
*You can also try this recipe without chicken and cheese.
If you decide to use chicken here’s a quick Poached Chicken recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
In a medium pot combine chicken breast and stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cook 5 minutes and reduce heat. Simmer, covered 10 minutes. Flip once halfway
through. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate, cover tightly and let it cool.
This recipe is perfect for chicken salads, pasta and paninis.
