CHICKEN SPAGHETTI IN RED SAUCE

Chicken Spaghetti in Red Sauce image

Provided by Cheryl Culver

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 small hen, boiled,reserve broth
1 lb angel hair or your favorite pasta
1 lb fresh mushrooms,sliced
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 can(s) diced tomatoes, juice reserved
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped vidalia or yellow onion
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 c fresh basil,chopped fine
1 can(s) tomato sauce
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp cajun seasoning(like slap ya mama, this is optional
2 c chicken stock from hen or boxed
2 bay leaves, dried

Steps:

1. Instructions Cut the chicken into pieces and boil in salted water until meat is cooked through. Reserve 2 cups of the broth, reserve remainder for another use; set meat aside to cool. Once cooled, debone and shred the meat, discarding the bones; set aside. Prepare pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion, garlic and salt, saute for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the tomatoes, basil, tomato sauce, sugar, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, poultry seasoning; bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour or until reduced and thickened. Stir in the chicken and enough broth from the stock you reserved from the hen (or use a commercial chicken stock) until it reaches the desired consistency. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
3. Note: This is a fresh, fairly light sauce recipe. If you prefer a heavier sauce to pasta ratio, you'll need to increase the sauce portion. Shortcut this: Use a rotisserie chicken, canned diced tomatoes, and commercial broth to speed things up. Add 2 teaspoons of a chicken base, to boost the flavor. You can use canned Mushrooms too. You'll probably need at least one large can diced tomatoes (28 ounce/1 pound 12 ounce), retaining the juices.