Recipe: Bee's Specialty Pasta

I like to think of this dish as the one that started it all. Okay, maybe that's being a bit dramatic. But it was this particular dish that started off my whole cooking streak. You see, there was this rather upsetting incident at work one day, and I arrived home feeling quite awful about it. Therefore, I decided that some cooking was in order to cheer me up. Maybe cooking doesn't work that way for the rest of you, but it virtually always improves my mood.

Anyways, this pasta dish is one I created quite awhile ago and make with decent frequency for two simple reasons: we almost always have the ingredients on hand and it's really, really delicious.

The first step is to fry up some onions in oil. Once they start to get soft, add the chicken and some minced garlic. Once the chicken has browned on all sides, it's time to season it up. I use a liberal amount of both chipotle chili powder and cayenne pepper, but I suppose it's up to you on the level of spiciness you want. Remember though that it will be diluted by all the sauce and cheese and noodles, so don't be afraid to add more than you think is necessary. Honestly, if my mom could see how much spice I put in this dish, she'd probably have been afraid to even try it, yet she still loves it.

Next step: chop up some peppers (preferably orange or yellow) and throw them in the pan. Meanwhile, cook the noodles. Fusilli is my personal favourite choice for this particular recipe, but that's just me. If you plan on baking the pasta (an optional but excellent step), then preheat the oven now.

While the noodles are cooking, pour a jar of your favourite prepared tomato sauce over the chicken. Mix in about 1/2 cup of cream. Keep it on low heat until the noodles are done.

Pour the sauce over the cooked noodles, mix it all together and pour into a casserole dish. Top with lots and lots of grated cheese and throw in the oven.

When the cheese is bubbly and golden, serve up a huge portion and enjoy. :)

This recipe turns out a bit different every time I make it, since I made it up and I've never bothered to write down the exact proportions. But here it goes, such as it is:

Bee's Specialty Pasta
Ingredients;
2 chicken breasts
1 small onion, chopped
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
Chipotle chili poweder, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 jar of prepared tomato sauce
1/2 cup cream
Fusilli or other noodles
1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar, mozza, etc), optional

Directions;
1. Place the chopped onion in a skillet with some oil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, slice the chicken breast into even chunks.

2. When the onions are just beginning to soften, add the chicken and the minced garlic to the pan. Brown the chicken on all sides.

3. Begin cooking the pasta and preheat the oven to 400 F if you intend to bake the pasta.

4. Add the chopped bell pepper to the frying pan and turn the heat down low. Pour the jar of tomato sauce over the chicken mixture. Add the cream and stir thoroughly. Keep on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are cooked.

5. If you're pressed for time, skip the baking step below and simply drain the noodles when they are done cooking and pour the sauce over top. Mix well and serve immediately.

6. If you do have the extra time, drain the noodles and place in an oven-safe casserole dish. Pour the sauce over top and mix thoroughly. Generously cover the top with shredded cheese and place the casserole dish in the oven (without the lid). Everything's already cooked, so all you're really waiting for is for the cheese to melt and get all bubbly. Should take about 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy :)