Smoked Tomato And Chicken Pasta Food

SMOKED TOMATO AND CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Place the wood chips in the bottom of a stove-top smoker and place the chicken on the rack over the chips. Place over medium heat until the wood begins to smolder. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken from the rack and add the tomatoes, cut side up. Cover and smoke until the tomatoes are soft, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, take the chicken off the bone and shred. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cut the tomato pieces in half crosswise.
• Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with the chicken, tomatoes, remaining salt, pepper and basil. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

FETTUCCINE WITH SMOKED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat. Place a cooling rack over indirect heat. Place a heavy-bottomed saucepot over direct heat.
• Slice the tomatoes in half. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes on the cooling rack on the grill, cut-side down, to soften and take on some smoke while you make the sauce, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add a drizzle of olive oil to the saucepot along with the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, onions and crushed red pepper flakes if using and cook until the onions soften, an additional few minutes. Add the wine. Tie the fresh herbs together with a piece of butcher's twine and add to the saucepot.
• When your tomatoes have begun to soften, remove them from the grill. Remove the skins (they will come off really easy), add the tomatoes to the saucepot and season with salt and pepper. Close the grill and continue to cook the sauce until the tomatoes fully break down and the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions. Using tongs, pull the pasta out and add it directly to the tomato sauce, along with 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water. Mix to combine. The sauce will stick to the pasta. Remove the saucepot from the heat.
• Add the butter and a drizzle of olive oil to the pasta and stir to combine. Add the basil and and stir again. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan over top.
• (Alternatively, you can cook the sauce and pasta over medium-high heat on a stovetop.)

SMOKED CHICKEN &ARTICHOKE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following the directions, drain and keep warm.
• Wash the leek well and slice thinly.
• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the leek and garlic and cook over a medium heat stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken, stock, artichokes and tomatoes and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is heated through thoroughly.
• Stir in the pine nuts and season to taste.
• Toss through the pasta to combine and serve.

CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH OVEN ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE AND SMOKED MOZZ

Steps:

• Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat over to 400 degrees.
• Season each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
• Place the flour into a small bowl. Place the egg and milk into a second small bowl. Place the bread crumbs into a third small bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the flour, then the beaten egg mixture, and finally into the bread crumbs, shaking to rid of excess between each step. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining breasts. When all of the breasts are breaded, heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken, smooth side down, into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts to the other side, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over each breast and divide the mozzarella slices evenly among the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the cheese melts, about 8 minutes. Adjust the oven setting to broil and continue to cook until the cheese bubbles and is lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• While the chicken is baking, reheat the pasta sauce if necessary. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the pasta and toss until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add enough of the pasta sauce to just coat the pasta and divide between 4 large serving plates.
• When the chicken is ready, top each plate of pasta with a little more sauce and top each serving with a chicken breast. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.
• Note: Regular smoked mozzarella works better in this recipe than fresh smoked mozzarella.
• Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce: In a large, 14-inch, oven proof frying pan, combine all the ingredients. Stir to blend then transfer to the oven and cook until the tomatoes begin to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir well. Return to the oven and continue to cook until further caramelized and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and transfer to a blender, in batches if necessary, and process sauce until coarsely pureed. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with a bit of water or chicken broth. Use immediately or cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 days in a non-reactive, airtight container.
• The sauce is great on pasta as well as pizza and even makes a great dipping sauce for hors d'oeuvres. If you prefer a less rustic sauce, puree completely as described above and strain.
• Yield: about 4 cups sauce.
• * If Romanita tomatoes are unavailable, use a combination of Roma and grape tomatoes to approximate the sweetness of Romanitas, or use another type of sweet tomato, such as Amorosa.