Recipe: Chicken-Mushroom Linguine (using crushed tomatoes)

CHICKEN-MUSHROOM LINGUINE

1 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) package linguine
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (or thighs)
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or 5 fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and pureed*)
Grated Parmesan-Romano or Asiago cheese (for serving)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and linguine and cook until tender but still firm (undercook noodles just a tad so they can absorb the extra juice from the tomatoes). Drain well.

Meanwhile, slice chicken breast halves lengthwise, then crosswise, to make 1-inch chunks; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat for one minute, then add garlic, red pepper flakes and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook mushrooms for three minutes, or until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken to the skillet and cook three minutes more (or until done), stirring.

Add tomatoes to the chicken and simmer to thicken slightly.

Spoon a little sauce into the linguine and stir to coat. Serve linguine with chicken sauce on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Serve with a salad with vinegar-and-oil dressing and garlic bread.

TIP:
To peel fresh tomatoes, dip them into boiling water for 30 seconds. When they are cool enough to handle, cut out their cores and slip off their skins. To seed them, cut them in half horizontally and scoop out the little seed packs with a finger. (No need to be obsessive about every seed.)

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Source: Sarah Fritschner, (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal, August 2002