Recipe: Joan River's Bombolina Baked Chicken over Rigatoni (using chicken breasts)

JOAN RIVER'S BOMBOLINA BAKED CHICKEN OVER RIGATONI

"Serve this easy oven-baked dish with a green salad and a loaf of Italian bread. You can use low-fat mozzarella cheese if you wish."

1 pound rigatoni pasta, uncooked
3 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 cups for the pasta, 1/2 cup for the chicken)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
6 boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups Newman's own Bombolina Sauce (or your favorite meatless spaghetti sauce)
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch ovenproof dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, and quickly bring the water back to a boil. Stir in the pasta, and quickly bring the water back to a boil. Stir the pasta a few times so it does not stick or clump together. Boil according to the manufacturer's directions but begin tasting the pasta several minutes before the suggested cooking time has elapsed. It should be tender but offer just a little resistance to your teeth.

Drain the pasta in a colander. Toss it in a bowl with the tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese. Place in the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Heat the oil over high heat in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Brown the breasts on both sides in the hot oil.

Place the chicken breasts on top of the rigatoni in the baking dish. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the breasts and dot with the butter. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

TO SERVE:
Place a portion of the pasta on each plate. Put a chicken breast on top and scoop some of the spaghetti sauce on top of it. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings
Source: The Hole in the Wall Gang Cookbook: Kid-Friendly Recipes for Families to Make Together by Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner