Chicken With Pasta in a Spicy Olive and Caper Marinara


olive oil cooking spray
1 pound chicken tenders or breast meat
4 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced
1 red chili pepper finely minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 anchovy filets, rinsed, drained and minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 28 oz. can chopped roma or regular tomatoes or 2 lb. fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers
¼ to 1/3 cup white wine
3 ounces tomato paste (1/2 of a 6-oz. can)
½ cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti (approximately 1 ½ cups cooked pasta per serving)
6 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan or other Italian hard cheese – optional


1. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a baking sheet or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on prepared surface and season with ¼ teaspoon of oregano, ¼- teaspoon thyme and ¼ teaspoon of rosemary and salt and fresh pepper. If using breasts bake chicken 20 to 25 minutes. If using chicken tenders bake for only 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before slicing meat into bite size pieces. (Chicken should be a little under done. It will finish cooking in the sauce. )

2. Rinse anchovies well and pat dry with paper towel, mince and set aside. Rinse capers in cold water, drain and set aside.

3. Lightly spray a large non stick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Sauté garlic, onions, red chilies and anchovies together until onions become tender.

4. Add tomatoes, capers, olives, tomato paste, wine and salt to onion mixture and bring to gentle boil stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes to an hour. The last 5 minutes of cooking time add the chicken to sauce. At the end of cooking time, stir in olive oil and fresh basil.

5. While sauce is simmering, bring a large pan of water to boil, add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta well, stir in sauce and serve with fresh grated Parmesan or other hard Italian cheese.

Yield: 6 – 1 1/2 cup servings with cheese each at approximately 260 calories; 6.7 grams total fat 1.7 grams saturated fat; 7 milligrams cholesterol; 42 grams carbohydrate; 4.1grams dietary fiber; 10.3 grams protein; 662 milligrams sodium.

Yield: 6 – 1 1/2 cup servings without cheese each at approximately 238 calories; 5.2 grams total fat 0.7 gram saturated fat; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 41.6 grams carbohydrate; 4.1 grams dietary fiber; 8.2 grams protein; 569 milligrams sodium.

Recipes from Lighten Up – The Art of Low Fat Gourmet Cooking, by Mary E. Ross

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