Skillet Buffalo Chicken

I have always had a love affair with Buffalo Chicken Wings!  I just love those flavours . . .  the spiciness of the hot sauce, the richness of the chicken . . .  the slight vinegar tang, the butter . . .  the blue cheese.  What's NOT to like about all that???  I can't find anything not to like either!




You know something???  This is the FIRST time I have ever cooked a pasta dish for the Toddster that he actually said afterwards . . . "That was really good."  I would call that a result!

 

Anyways, I got a similar recipe in my e-mail the other day from Betty Crocker and as soon as I saw it I knew that this was something I had to make.   Of course I had to make a few adaptions for over here due to a difference in ingredients, but I am so used to doing that now, it's not a problem.



The major change I made was to add some water to the recipe.  Our tinned tomatoes here are in really thick tomato juice, not watery like at home, so I knew I would need more liquid than the original recipe.  We also don't have the same type of lasagna noodles.



Our lasagna noodles are flat and very thin . . .  also quite short. Not a ruffle in sight.  I wasn't sure how to use ours.  We do however have Malfalda noodles, which is like little miniature Lasagna noodles, and so I just used a cup of those.   It worked a charm.  



If you are fond of skillet suppers where you can just bang everything into one skillet, then this recipe is for you.  If you are fond of Buffalo Chicken Wings, then this recipe is for you.   Do add the blue cheese at the end.  It adds such a wonderful touch!

*Skillet Buffalo Chicken Pasta*

Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

This dish may not be so pretty to look at, but it's abolutely delicious!  Serve it with lots of crusty bread to mop up all of that luciousness!  It's an economical way to make two chicken breasts and a bit of pasta go a long way!  You just got to love a one pan supper!  

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and chopped

2 (400g) tins of diced plum tomatoes, undrained (2 14.5 ounce)

1/2 tin of water

78 ml of Buffalo Wing sauce (1/3 cup)

(I used Franks)

1 TBS butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

181g of grated mozarella cheese, divided (1 1/2 cups)

115g of malfalda noodles (small ruffly pasta, 1 cup)

120g of ricotta cheese (1/2 cup)

90g of grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)

crumbled blue cheese (optional)   

  

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion.  Cook until soft without colouring.   Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until quite fragrant.  Add the chicken.   Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.   Add the tomatoes, water, buffalo wing sauce, butter, salt, pepper and half of the mozarella cheese.   Bring to the boil then stir in the pasta.  Cover and cook over very low heat for about 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender.   Uncover and stir in the ricotta cheese, the remaining mozarella and the Parmesan cheese.  Simmer a couple of minutes to heat through.   

  

Preheat the grill.  Pop the pan under the grill and broil until lightly golden brown.   Sprinkle blue cheese over top if using and serve.  I like to spoon it out and allow individuals to add their own cheese as blue cheese it not to everyone's taste.  Personally, I love it.