Stuff-it Feta Chicken and pasta

Another recipe made from about three others, stirred to perfection. This dish is perfect for a weeknight meal, full of flavor and easy on the pockets.

You Need:
For the chicken:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 ounces tomato basil feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs, divided
• olive oil for moisture
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
  

For the Sauce:

• 1 can whole plum tomatoes
• 1 small shallot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp oregano

One box of angel hair pasta

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Get out the meat. Make sure the chicken is ALL the way thawed or your chicken will dry out. Make sure not to use auto-defrost on the microwave either, it can cook the edges too much. Best to take the chicken out before going to work in the morning. Slice a long pocket on one side of each of your chicken breasts. Coat the inside and outside with olive oil. Stuff the pockets full of feta cheese and I recommend using the basil and tomato flavored kind. Use a 9x9x9 glass baking dish or equivalent and sprinkle the bottom with the italian bread crumbs....not too much, maybe like a 1/4 inch deep. Place your chicken on top of the bread crumbs and sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs over the top. For added moisture I places a slice of butter on the top of each chicken breast. Set aside for about 10 minutes.

The homemade pasta sauce:
Blend your can of whole plum tomatoes in the blender on puree until the color is a bit lighter. Place the tomato mixture in a saucepan on medium heat for 20 minutes. Once you get the sauce going, put the chicken in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes. Mince up your garlic and shallot. Put about 2 tbsps of olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat and cook the garlic and shallot mixture in the oil until brown. You are just browning the garlic and shallots to get rid of the pungent taste. Place the mixture in with the tomato sauce that is cooking for the remainder of the 20 minutes. Also add the oregano.

Once the sauce and the chicken is going and you feel like king of multi-tasking, boil your water for the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box. Maybe now would be a good time to crack open a bottle of wine and revel in the fact that you are master of the kitchen.

Now that everything is cooked, place your pasta and sauce in the center of the plate. Make a little nest in the center for your chicken to rest. Place the chicken in the center of the pasta dish...it should be moist but the crust should be golden brown. Sprinkle some extra feta cheese over the top and have your spouse/child/friend/roommate praise you for such an awesome job that you have slaved over after such a long day of work. Yum.