by Hans-Gustav Schwartz

Created on: August 14, 2010

Nothing says comfort food like Italian dishes and stuffed chicken breasts with marinara are a comfort to even the most sophistcated of palates.  Why settle for store bought sauces when making an authentic marinara is so simple.  For your marinara sauce, you will need

1 large can of plum tomatoes

2 small cans of tomao paste

1 can of tomato sauce

2 medium onions of your choice, finely chopped

1 heaping tablespoon of dried oregano

1 heaping tablespoon of dried basil

5-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

one ounce of Zambuca or other licorice flavored liqueur

2-3 Tablespoons of Olive oil

Salt to taste

Begin by sweating the onions in a stock pot in a two to three tablespoons of olive oil.  When they begin to turn translucent, add the finely chopped garlic.  Allow to cook for two or three minutes, stirring often so the garlic will not brown or burn.  Add the remaining ingredients remembering to crush each plum tomato in your hand before dropping it into the pot.  Allow to simmer for about an hour.  Add salt to taste.

Making a good marinara is really that easy.  For the Chicken

4 boneless skinless breasts pounded flat

3-4 links of Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, depending on your taste or mood.

3/4 pound of Mozzarella cheese, grated.

2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano

Begin by removing the skins from your sausage and crumbling it into a saute pan.  Brown the meat and drain any excess fat.  Divide the browned sausage evenly between the four flat breasts.  Add the Mozzarella cheese.  Roll up the breast with the filling inside and secure each breast with two or three toothpicks to prevent the contents from coming out.  Lightly brown the four breasts in your saute pan, remove and set aside.

During the last fifteen minutes of cooking your sauce, add the rolled chicken breasts to the sauce and simmer gently until the time is up.  Remove the breasts from the sauce and set aside and then remove the toothpicks.

Boil your water, add a bit of salt, and cook your noodles according to the directions on the package.  Drain the noodles, but do not rinse with water.  Instead, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the warm noodles and toss gently.  This will prevent the noodles from sticking.

Finally, place the noodles on the plate, top with a rolled chicken breast and sauce it accordingly.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.  A nice red or white wine goes great with this dish, along with green salad and some garlic bread.

Ciao Bella!

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