Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken and Penne Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

Before you say anything dear reader, I know - I have yet to post my pictures from O'ahu. I just can't bring myself to do it. I already started the post, but when I look at the pictures, I get depressed.

So I decided to just leave it be until I'm ready to write about my trip and food adventures.

Ok onto today's cooking experience.

Glenn requested that I make Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken. I made this dish the first time in college and it's been a hit ever since.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder
  

Here are the directions from the cookbook, SuperCooker: Quick and Easy Recipes

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  
• Mix strained spinach with ricottt. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• Using a sharp knife, slit each chicken breast through the side and enlarge each cut to form a pocket. Fill with spinach mixture
• wrap the chicken tightly with prosciutto (about 2 slices per piece of chicken) and secure with a toothpick.
• Heat up the butter in a skillet and brown the chicken for 2 minutes on each side.
• Place the chicken in a large ovensafe dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Take out toothpicks and serve.

Usually, I follow these directions - but I was limited on time because I had to hurry up and finish dinner to watch the end of the Celtics/Orlando game and more importantly, the tip off of the Laker/Rockets game.

So here's the breakdown of what I actually did - and it turned out pretty good.

Microwaved the Spinach. Didn't have time to let it thaw.
Mixed in the ricotta, pepper, salt, and garlic powder.

Cut slits into the chicken breasts and stuffed them with the ricotta/spinach mixture.

Wrapped the chicken with prosciutto. The prosciutto was extra sticky, so I had a bit of trouble. I prefer the prosciutto at Costco (if you can't get it cut fresh at a deli).
Trader Joe's proscuitto is a bit too thick and salty.

Didn't have toothpicks. Skipped the skillet part. The clock was ticking. So I just placed the chicken a dish and cooked for 20 minutes, turned the pieces over, and cooked for another 10.
By the time the chicken was done, it was almost the end of the 4th quarter of the Celtics/Orlando game. So I didn't have the time to make it look all pretty. I just slapped the chicken on a plate and ran to the t.v. to witness an agonizing game. Why Orlando Magic, Why? How could you let the Celtics have that crazy ass come-back?

Despite the fact that it doesn't look so pretty, it tasted really good!

Penne Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Herb Goat Cheese
While the chicken was baking, I realized that I needed to make something to eat with it. Oops! my bad. So whipped up this pasta dish together. I made this dish once with spaghetti noodles, and it wasn't so great. But this time, I used penne and it turned out so much better!

Heat up some sundried tomatoes and put a lot of the oil from the jar.
I really like the sundried tomatoes from costco
because you get huge juicy pieces and it's so cheap!

When the oil begins sizzling, add the cooked penne pasta.Add crumbled herb goat cheese.
Here, I used herb goat cheese from Trader Joe's.
For those of you who think you don't like goat cheese or who fear it, this is a good introductory cheese. Glenn swore up and down that he would not like goat cheese, but he loves this particular kind. It goes really well with sundried tomatoes (something that I learned from Tessa).

The only crappy part is that the goat cheese is so messy.
I feel like the cheese that sticks to my fingers goes to waste.

Add some red pepper flakes to spice things up.

Mix all together. If you want a more creamy consistency, you can add some hot pasta water.

There you have it! I've been able to write this blog while watching the Laker game because they're up by 27 points. I have to say, I love the Rockets also - actually, I only love Yao Ming. But my first love will and always be the Lakers.