Baked Mozzarella Chicken with Yellow Tomato Sauce, Kale & Fettuccine

This family-friendly recipe is a nod to Italian-American comfort food. We’re making a brightly flavored (and colored) sauce using yellow tomatoes—a sweet-tart variety grown in Italy—to layer with pan-seared chicken and fresh mozzarella, which melts into a perfectly creamy coating in the oven. Fettuccine and kale tossed in a light mascarpone sauce complete the meal with even more satisfying heartiness.

This recipe contains chicken breasts (boneless skinless), pasta (fettuccine), tomatoes (whole, peeled), cheese (mozzarella, fresh), garlic (fresh), kale, parsley (fresh), butter, mascarpone, salt, black pepper

4 Servings

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:

• 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breast
• 10 oz. fettuccine pasta
• 1 can(s) 14oz. whole yellow tomatoes
• 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese
• 4 clove(s) garlic
• 1 whole kale, bunch
• 1 whole parsley, bunch
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. mascarpone cheese
• 1 ds. salt
• 1 ds. pepper

Instructions:

• 1. PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS: Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Tear the mozzarella cheese into bite-sized pieces. Remove and discard the kale stems; roughly chop the leaves. Place the tomatoes in a bowl; gently break apart with your hands
• 2. MAKE THE SAUCE: In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add half the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir in half the parsley. Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Rinse and wipe out the pan.
• 3. COOK THE CHICKEN: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat.
• 4. ASSEMBLE & BAKE CHICKEN: Spread a thin layer of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, top with the cooked chicken in a single, even layer. Evenly top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese; season with salt and pepper. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven; let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
• 5. COOK THE PASTA: While the chicken bakes, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.
• 6. FINISH PASTA & SERVE: Once the pasta has cooked for about 5 minutes, to the pan of reserved fond, add half the butter; heat on medium-high until melted. Add the kale and remaining garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until wilted. Add the cooked pasta, remaining butter and half the reserved cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring vigorously, 2 to 3 minutes, or until coated. Turn off the heat. Stir in the mascarpone cheese; season with salt and pepper to taste. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining cooking water.) Transfer to a serving dish. Top the baked chicken with the remaining parsley. Enjoy!