Mamacello Pasta and Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

This meal has become a recent favorite in our household.

Sometimes I add some chicken fingers to the dish (I've included instructions for those), but I think it stands alone quite well, especially during the summer.

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Chicken Fingers

8 chicken fingers

salt and pepper

1 egg

1/2 c. plain bread crumbs

1-2 Tbsp. oil (olive or vegetable, your choice)

Season the chicken before dipping in the beaten egg and lightly breading. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil to frying pan and after hot, brown chicken over medium heat until it has a nice crust on both sides. Transfer to baking dish and finish in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 mins.

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Mamacello Pasta

(from Rachel Ray with some modifications)

1 lb. angel hair or spaghetti

salt

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 c. white cooking wine

zest of 2 lemons, 1 lemon juiced

1/2 c. heavy cream (I used half-n-half)

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley

grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta per package instructions, salting the water.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat a deep skillet over low heat and add oil. When oil is warm, add garlic and pepper flakes. Turn off heat and set skillet aside for about 5 minutes. Then raise heat to medium, add wine and lemon zest and boil to reduce the wine by half (about 3 mins.).

3. When the pasta is just about cooked, add a ladel of starchy pasta water to the skillet and stir in the cream. When cream is warmed through, add lemon juice.

4. Drain pasta, add to sauce in skillet, then toss in basil, parsley and some grated parmesan.

Serve immediately.

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Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

(seen on Barefoot Contessa--I wrote the recipe down from memory, so I hope it's accurate.)

8 plum tomatoes, cut length-wise and deseeded.

Arrange skin side down in a greased baking dish.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsalmic vinegar.

Spread 1 tsp. minced garlic over top.

Sprinkle with alittle sugar, salt and pepper.

Bake for 2 hours at 250 degrees.

Serve with slices of fresh mozzarella and chopped basil.

*You can used dried basil in place of fresh--just add to top of tomatoes before roasting.

**This is a great dish to make in the winter too when you don't have fresh local tomatoes in abundance. Plum tomatoes get sweeter when roasted.

***When I make chicken fingers with this dish I just increase the temp in my oven to 350 and let both hang out in there for the last 15-20 mins. before serving.