Blackened Chicken Pasta of Love

The Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 Tbsp Blackened Seasoning
• 4 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 box (8 ounces, 10 ounces, whatever) Penne Pasta
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Dry Sherry/White Wine
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 medium tomato, peeled and diced
• seasoning to taste
• Oven Roasted tomatoes

I don't really measure, so I'm guessing a bit on quantities above. You should experiment anyway, so deal with it! For starters, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and heat a heavy, non shiny, non teflon coated skillet on high heat. Cast iron is ideal, but anything meeting this description will work. Don't got it? Oh well. It will still taste good, it just might not quite blacken as well. Make sure your skillet is hot, as in let it sit for 10 minutes on high heat. Also get a large pot of water boiling for your pasta.

For your blackened seasoning, do what makes you happy. You can check out Recipe: Blackening Seasoning or Blackened Tuna for ideas. Personally, I use Old Bay seasoning with some onion powder and garlic powder mixed in. But whatever makes you happy...

Melt the butter (or margerine) and dip the chicken breasts in it. Sprinkle on some of the seasoning, and rub it. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Show that chicken some love. Ok, that's enough. Take the chicken and toss it into the skillet. You should be greeted by a searing sound and lots of smoke.

At this point, it's important to remind you, the reader, of the importance of preparing proper ventilation. I myself had my front door open, the balcony door open, and my kitchen vent fan on. This did not, however, prevent my smoke detector from freaking out. It's overly sensitive and likes to go off at the worst times (like 3 AM). It also triggers the building alarm, and notifies the fire department who are just down the street. So keep an eye on what you are doing, lest you end up showing off your prized chicken to the firemen who have been to your complex for the 5th false alarm this month. But I digress...

Allow the chicken to sear about 2 minutes per side, a nice black crust should form. Place the breasts onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with oil or cooking spray, and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Back to the stove, add the leftover butter to a large skillet. If there's not a lot left over, add some more. Toss in the garlic and let cook about 30 seconds. Add in the red pepper and cook until soft. If you like, toss in some onions and mushrooms. After the veggies are soft, deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow to cook down.

Add heavy cream and tomato paste to the pan, mix well and cook a few minutes until it thickens up. Add in diced tomatoes and seasonings. For the sauce, I would suggest some of your blackened seasoning, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Cook a few minutes longer, then toss in the pasta and mix until evenly coated.

Serve chicken on a bed of pasta, and garnish the plate with the oven roasted tomatoes around the edges. Enjoy!