Barbecued Chicken Pasta by Susan

Posted by carsimulator on Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Ingredients:
15 oz Rigatoni, mostaccioli or other medium pasta shape
1 1/2 Tbsp
1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into 1/2" cubes
3/4 C Green Bell Pepper, cut into thin strips (julienne)
3/4 C Red Onion, cut into thin strips (julienne)
2 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
1 C Spaghetti Sauce
3/4 C Hickory Smoked Barbecue Sauce
3/4 C Provolone Cheese, Grated
3/4 C Smoked Gouda Cheese, Grated
4 1/2 Scallions, trimmed and sliced
2 Tbsp Dried cilantro leaves

Assembly:
Heat Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic and stir until pepper turns bright green, about 3 minutes. Add marinara sauce and barbecue sauce and heat just to boiling. Remove from heat. Grate cheeses and mix together.

If serving right away: Cook pasta in pot while preparing sauce above. (Use a pot large enough to combine sauce with pasta.) Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot and combine with chicken mixture and cheese. Stir over low heat until pasta is coated with sauce. If necessary, add enough of reserved cooking liquid to make the sauce lightly coat the pasta. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl and top with scallions and cilantro.

If freezing: Allow sauce to cool. Mix in scallions and cilantro. Place in freezer bag and seal tightly. Place cheese in quart size freezer bag and store with sauce.

Serving Day: Thaw sauce and cheese. Prepare Pasta according to package directions. (Use pot large enough to combine sauce with pasta.) Reheat sauce. Before draining pasta reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot and combine with chicken mixture and cheese. If necessary, add enough of reserved cooking liquid to make the sauce lightly coat the pasta. Serve.
EXTRA SAUCE: After finishing all six meals I panicked because they just didn't seem to have enough sauce for an entire box of pasta. The sauce really reduced while cooking. My family ate this tonight and I did not need to add extra pasta water or any sauce.