Pepperoni Chicken Pasta

On my last trip to Houston to visit my family, we stopped at Zio's, an Italian restaurant we used to eat at a lot when I was a kid. I had my favorite dish there, pepperoni chicken, which I decided to recreate.

We had a gentle dinner party with our friends Holly and Chad, which always turns into a great night. Since Chad and Luke are big eaters, the proportions on these recipes are pretty large. Also, I got to try out the sassy new serving dishes I got shopping that day!

Pepperoni Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced green olives
1 8 ounce package pepperoni slices
1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
2 pounds penne pasta, cooked al dente
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat a grill pan on medium heat and cook chicken until juices run clear, about 7 minutes on each side (depending on thickness). Remove from heat and rest 10 minutes, then slice into strips.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Heat oil then add onions and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Add in mushrooms and olives and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in pepperoni slices and tomatoes and continue cooking 10 minutes. Add in pasta, chicken and salt and pepper and toss. Serve with freshly grated parmesan as desired.

Slow Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

2 pounds tomatoes, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette, cut into thin slices

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients on a large baking sheet. Roast for an hour. Remove and turn on broiler to 400 degrees. Top tomato mixture on baguette slices then broil for 2-3 minutes, until bread is toasted. Serve.

Italian Artichoke Salad

6 ounces spinach leaves
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup green olives
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss- enjoy!