Can you make an Italian Sunday Dinner in under 30 minutes? When you don’t have the time or the inclination to make an elaborate meal, this recipe comes together in a flash with common pantry ingredients. I used chicken tenders to keep prep to a minimum. A simple sauce made with fire roasted tomatoes and a red wine vinaigrette is rich with flavor. I finished it off with grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh herbs from my garden.
This post contains affiliate links.
4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. boneless chicken tenders
- 3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided use
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) gluten free Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1-1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp. garlic granules
- 1 ladle of pasta water
- 1/2 lb. gluten free fettuccine
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp. grated Romano cheese
- 1 tbsp. each fresh Italian parsley and slivered basil for garnish
Preparation:
Boil water for the pasta, add 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. olive oil. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Whisk together 2-1/2 tbsp. olive oil, the red wine vinegar and the seasonings.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add the chicken tenders, turning to brown all sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
When the chicken is close to being done, push it to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste in center.
Let it toast for 1 minute then add the diced tomatoes and the vinaigrette. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
Before draining the pasta, reserve a ladle of the pasta water and add it to the skillet. Add the fettuccine to the sauce and toss well.
Cook for another minute then sprinkle with half the cheese and fresh herbs.
Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, basil and parsley.
Notes ♪♫ Conventional kitchen wisdom tells us to never add oil to your pasta water, and for regular wheat pasta I would agree. Gluten free pasta, on the other hand is notorious for sticking together, especially our much-loved spaghetti, linguine and fettucine. I find that adding just a drop of oil to the cooking liquid helps keep the strands separate as they cook.
[print_link]
Whisk together the marinade ingredients with a sprinkle of Old Bay®, a few grinds of fresh ground pepper and 1 tsp. of fresh chives.
Preparation:
Add back the mushrooms and onions, with 1/2 tsp. of Montreal Steak seasoning and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
To serve, spoon the shrimp and veggies over the rice with more sesame seeds and tortilla strips.
Cook the spaghetti to 1 minute less than package directions. While the pasta cooks, add 1 tbsp. each of butter and olive oil to a 
Stir and cook 1 minute, then add back the roasted tomatoes.
Cook for 1 minute more, then add all of the baby spinach with 1/2 cup of white wine. Don’t worry, it will cook down! Cover the pan and cook for several minutes, until the spinach wilts.
What did I tell you?
Use tongs to add the cooked spaghetti to the spinach mixture, along with the scallops. Season to taste, and finish with another 1 tbsp. each of butter and olive oil.
Toss gently to combine and heat the scallops through, then transfer to a serving platter.
These days I try to make meals that are not only gluten free but also lower in sodium. That means some of my Asian inspired meals have gone on the back burner because they are made with a salt bomb of condiments! With that in mind, I wanted to keep the sodium to a minimum in this recipe, and it was definitely a success.
