Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Baked Pastina Casserole

From Every Day Pasta - Giada DeLaurentiis

1 C pastina (or other small pasta)
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 C cubed chicken breast (1" cubes)
1/2 C diced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/4 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C bread crumbs
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut in small pieces, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onion is soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Add the chicken mixture to the bowl with the drained pasta, then add the canned tomatoes and their juice, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Butter an 8x8x2" baking dish and spread the pasta in the prepared dish. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

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