Tomato-Basil Chicken Spirals

By Totlxtc

Ingredients

• 2 * 2 cups finely chopped sweet onion
• 1 * 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 * 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 * 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 * 5 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1 * 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1/2 * 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 * 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 * 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 * 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
• 3 * 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 * 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

* In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute the onion, basil and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
* Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add chicken to the tomato mixture; heat through. Drain pasta. Top with chicken mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 servings.


Nutritional Analysis: 1 cup chicken mixture with 1 cup pasta equals 373 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 291 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 27 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 vegetable, 2-1/2 starch, 2 lean meat.

Seeding Tomatoes

Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy fresh juicy tomatoes in all types of recipes. It's usually not necessary to remove the seeds from tomatoes before using. But for some recipes, seeding the tomatoes can improve the dish's appearance or eliminate excess moisture. For example, it's not important to seed tomatoes when preparing a tossed salad. But it's nice to remove the seeds when making creamy tomato soup to ensure a smooth texture. And using seeded tomatoes when assembling a casserole can prevent it from becoming watery. To remove the seeds from a tomato, cut it in half horizontally and remove the stem. Holding a tomato half over a bowl or sink, scrape out seeds with a small spoon or squeeze the tomato to force out the seeds. Then slice or dice as directed in the recipe.