Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 x tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried oregano or basil or 2 tbsp freshly chopped
- Sea salt & black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 400g pasta
- 2 x chicken breasts
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 ball Mozzarella
- 200g cherry tomatoes
1 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees or equivalent.
2 Pour the 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and stir, warming the garlic through to take any raw taste from it but don't let it colour. Add the tinned tomatoes and herbs. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
3 Meanwhile simmer the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for five minutes till only just al dente. Drain the pasta and tip it into a large ovenproof dish. Add the tomato sauce and stir well. If it looks a little dry then add a cup or so of water. Keep in mind that more liquid will be absorbed as the pasta cooks and some will evaporate in the heat of the oven.
4 Place each chicken breast flat on a chopping board, flatten each one with your palm and cut it in half horizontally. Lay each chicken breast on a piece of parchment paper and flatten them with a rolling pin or similar until they are all equally thin. This ensures they cook quickly and evenly.
5 Place the chicken pieces on top of the pasta. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Scatter 1 tbsp grated Parmesan over each piece of chicken. Place the cherry tomatoes around the chicken.
6 Bake for 10 minutes till bubbling then arrange the mozzarella slices on top and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. After this stage, the chicken will be cooked, the parmesan golden and the sauce nicely thickened and bubbling. Serve with a green salad or vegetables.
