Hello,

This is my first recipe posted on mylovingoven.com.  Chicken Prata is my husbands’ favorite Italian dish and I have been making this particular dish for about 15 years now.  I love cooking Italian food, mainly because it incorporates some of my favorite flavors.  Such as basil, tomatoes, garlic etc. and this Chicken Prata recipe has the best of everything Italian!

Chicken Prata

15 years ago, my dad had made me a cookbook.  It was a collection of recipes that were posted in the local newspaper on the Wednesday of each week. Every week they would feature a recipe from one of the local Rhode Island restaurants and this one came from the restaurant “Prata Bar and Grill” ( currently the Grid Iron Ale House and Grill).  It is Farfalle pasta, topped with chicken and an amazing vodka cream sauce with Prosciutto, roasted red pepper, garlic, black olives, and spinach. It truly is amazing!  Hope you enjoy cooking it for your family as much as I do.

Serves 4-6           Prep time: 45 minutes                

ingredients:

1. 1/2 lb.  Farfalle pasta
2. 1/2 lb chicken breast sliced
3. Italian salad dressing
4. 2-4 cloves of fresh garlic minced
5. 4 slices of prosciutto chopped
6. 1/4 cup roasted red pepper
7. 1/2 cup chopped spinach
8. 1/4 cup black olives
9. 1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce
10. 1/2 cup cream
11. 1 oz. vodka (optional)
12. 1 tablespoon olive oil
13. 2 tablespoons of butter

Putting it all together

• Start by slicing chicken about 1/2 ” X 1″ thick pieces and drizzle with salad dressing.  Let sit approx. 30 minutes.
• Next,  chop prosciutto, garlic, roasted pepper, olives and spinach   (I like to keep each item separated in small bowls until I am ready to make the sauce).
• Start water for boiling pasta.  
• Then take the chicken and sauté on medium heat until fully cooked and set aside in a bowl.  
• Using the same sauté pan, heat butter and oil together on medium heat until butter is just melted.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add prosciutto, cook for 2 minutes.
• Next, add roasted red pepper, black olives, and spinach.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add marinara and cream. Cook 1 more minute’
•  On low heat, add vodka and reduce for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• When pasta is cooked, drain and place in a pasta bowl or casserole dish.
• Top with chicken and then pour the vodka sauce over and toss.

I like to serve this dish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a side salad. I don’t usually begin cooking the sauce until I drop the pasta in the boiling water.  The sauce only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish,  not including prep time.