If you have chicken breast in the fridge and risoni in your pantry, you can make this tonight!
I hardly made a “normal” meal during the whole month of December. I was living on leftovers, whether it was food I made for my blog or leftovers from gatherings. Don’t even get me started about the RecipeTin Family Christmas. Those of you who have found me on Instagram may have seen that the RecipeTin Christmas lunch was still going strong at 10pm when the main course was served. Yes, I said LUNCH. Oi. I had to nap between courses. I’m not even kidding. And there were days and days of leftovers. “You HAVE to take some,” my mother says forcefully. “Everybody has to take their share!” she declares, as she packs up takeaway containers. [Side note: This is the ritual for every family feasting gathering. She gets really cranky that we depart her house leaving her fridge filled with leftovers, half empty bottles and all manner of ingredients we bring to prepare things at her house that SHE then feels obliged to consume for days afterwards. BA HA HA!!!] Now the 2nd of January has arrived and holiday feasting is officially over. No fridge full of dips and leftover Christmas ham. No mimosas for breakfast. 😉 So it seems fitting to launch 2017 with a great midweek meal, light on washing up, BIG on flavour, and on the table in (just over) 30 minutes. 🙂
This risoni pasta recipe is all made in one pot, and it’s not just about saving on washing up. It’s about using all the free flavour you get from searing the chicken in the skillet as the flavour base for the risoni. Did you notice the rich and dark red colour of the tomato coating the risoni pasta? No tomato paste used, just 1 small can of crushed tomato. The richness of the colour and flavour comes from the brown bits stuck on the skillet after the chicken is cooked. This kind of food is totally me. It’s simple but super tasty (it’s always all about the flavour! 😉 ), fuss free, and quick to prepare. No fancy ingredients to hunt down, and in fact, if you have a basil plant in your garden and chicken in your fridge, chances are you have everything you need to make this right now!
If time permits, marinating the chicken is the best option because if really infuses the chicken with flavour. However, if you are pressed for time, just cut the chicken breast in half horizontally to make two thin steaks. These will cook in half the time it takes to cook a whole chicken breast and you won’t need to marinate. The other way to make this is to cook bite size pieces of chicken WITH the risoni, so I’ve got notes in the recipe for that too. 🙂 The chicken in this risoni recipe is really delicious, especially if you marinate it, but I must confess that the star is the risoni! I was watching a Nigella Lawson cooking show recently and she declared this method of cooking risoni in one pot (rather than cooking it separately then adding it into a sauce) to be “all the rage” in Italy at the moment. Now, as regular readers know, I am not about food trends. But I must confess that it feels pretty cool to be doing something that is apparently “all the rage” !!! – Nagi xx
More risoni / orzo recipes
Orzo / Risoni Bolognaise – one pot bolognese pasta dish! Greek Lemon Orzo Salad – a bright fresh pasta salad loaded with Greek flavours Creamy Salmon Risoni / Orzo (15 Minute Meal) – tastes like risotto, except MUCH faster to make! Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo (Risoni) (One Pot) – tastes like a creamy mushroom risotto Baked Greek Chicken Orzo (Risoni) – Greek chicken AND orzo made in one pot! One Pot Creamy Chicken, Vegetable & Parmesan Orzo (Risoni) – creamy chicken and vegetable orzo, a quick 20 minute meal Pea, Zucchini and Pesto Orzo / Risoni – a wonderful quick side dish
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
One Pot Italian Chicken with Risoni Pasta recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
I predict 2017 will be no different to 2016 (and in fact, every other year): Filled with plenty of beach fun, lots of food and way too many cuddles. This dog has a blessed life!!!
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