Who doesn’t love a great bowl of pasta?  I wanted to be able to make a pasta dish that was not only good but healthy.  I believe I’ve found the perfect balance.  This recipe was developed out of frustration, when I was trying to make stuffed chicken with spinach and ricotta cheese. I didn’t have any toothpicks in the house and tried my hardest to keep the stuffing together, with no success.  I decided to move to plan B, and turn it into a pasta dish.

One of the ingredients listed in this recipe is saffron. I would’ve never thought to add saffron, but I had just received a spice shipment from my mother, who lives in area near many Middle Eastern/Indian shops. They sell high quality saffron at a discounted rate.  What’s fascinating about this spice is that its obtained from a flower, Crocus Sativus, that only produces three threads per flower. More than 75,000 flowers are needed to obtain a pound.  This is the reason why this spice carries a heavy price tag.  No worries if you don’t have saffron, the dish will still be very good with the addition of cream and roasted garlic!

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breast (cubed)
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 2 onions
• 1 red pepper sliced
• 1 medium eggplant (cubed)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• bag of spinach
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon saffron (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

Mix in a large bowl the below ingredients with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes on 375.

1 Onion Sliced
1 Red Pepper Sliced
1 cubed Eggplant
1 pint of cherry tomatoes

Be sure to roast the garlic in the oven with the vegetables by placing in an aluminum foil packet with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  When the garlic is cooked through (15-20 minutes), mash into a paste.

In a pot bring together the chicken and chopped onion with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and saffron.  Let this cook with the lid on for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  There should be a nice amount of liquid that builds up at the bottom of the pot.

Add tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes with the roasted garlic (smashed into a paste) with 1/2 teaspoon of salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cover and cook for 20  to 25 minutes on medium heat.

Add cream and wait a few minutes before adding your roasted vegetables and spinach.  The last step is to add the spaghetti.  Don’t forget your favorite cheese to top of this wonderful meal.  Enjoy!