For those days when you want a warm and comforting meal, this is a dish you have to make. It is called Chicken Romanesque and the recipe is from the cookbook 365 Ways to Cook Chicken. This is a delicious meal of chicken and pasta, baked in a rich tomato sauce. It makes enough to feed your whole family so no one will leave the table hungry! Plus, while it is baking, you can clean up the dishes from the prep work so that there is less to be done after dinner time.

My mom has had this cookbook for years and this is one of the recipes I remember having all the time when I was younger. We haven’t had it much recently so this was a great opportunity to have a nostalgic meal. And let me tell you, it was as good as (or maybe even better than) I remember.

I’m not sure what makes this meal so tasty because all the ingredients are quite basic. Maybe it’s just the fact that everything cooks together and all the flavours marry beautifully. No matter the case, you likely have all the ingredients in your pantry/fridge right now so there is no excuse not to make this dish on the weekend. Serve with a simple side salad and you are good to go!

There are a few steps to be done before it all goes into the oven to bake but it is worth the effort. The big steps involved are cooking the pasta – make sure to cook to al dente because it will cook more in the oven – and browning the chicken in a frying pan. The rest is relatively easy to do. I will write the exact recipe from the cookbook down below, as well as any personal adjustments in (brackets) beside.

When this comes out of the oven (piping hot – so be careful), you get the aroma of the tomato sauce and you automatically know it’s going to taste good. Then it’s time to eat and it gets even better. You get a bite of tender chicken with perfectly cooked pasta and the flavourful sauce. Amazing.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a comforting and hearty meal, try this Chicken Romanesque. And when you love this and are looking for another equally comforting meal, make Osso Buco, which I posted about a month ago. Both awesome dinner ideas.

Chicken Romanesque (recipe from 365 Ways to Cook Chicken)

*Reminder: my personal adjustments are in (brackets)*

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti (any long pasta works, I like whole wheat too)
• 1 chicken (3 pounds), cut up (I use equal amount of chicken legs or thighs)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green pepper (any colour pepper)
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce (GF: ensure sauce is GF)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (omitted) (DF: omit)

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until just tender (al dente), 10 to 12 minutes; drain. Put in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, about 5 minutes a side. Arrange on top of spaghetti.
3. Add onion, pepper, and garlic to pan. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire (omitted), and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Pour over chicken and spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (omitted).
4. Cover and bake for 45 minutes until chicken is tender.