Chicken and Peppers With Zucchini Over Angel Hair
Pan-seared chicken tenders coated in seasoned flour, simmered with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, and Italian tomatoes in a vermouth-based sauce. Served over angel hair pasta with fresh thyme for a quick weeknight dinner combining tender vegetables and herbaceous flavors.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oilsun-dried tomato pastenulltomato
reconstitute according to product instructions
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 lb chicken tenders, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup vermouthdry white wine1alcohol
adds depth without strong vermouth flavor
- 1 can (14.5 ounce) diced Italian tomatoes
- 2 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 whole red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 whole yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves
- ½ cup water
- ½ lb uncooked angel hair pastalinguine or fettuccine1pasta
similar cooking time and texture
Instructions
- 1
Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with boiling water for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Drain and cut into slivers.
- 2
Combine flour, salt, and red pepper in a large bowl.
- 3
Add chicken pieces and toss until evenly coated.
- 4
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook without stirring until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 3 minutes longer.
- 5
Add garlic and cook while stirring for 1 minute.
- 6
Add vermouth and stir, scraping up cooked bits from the sides of the pan.
- 7
Add sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, thyme, and water.
- 8
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until zucchini are tender, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.
- 9
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
- 10
Serve sauce over pasta.
Tips
Do not stir chicken immediately after adding to hot oil to achieve a golden crust.
Scrape up browned bits from the pan when adding vermouth to build deeper flavor.
Check zucchini doneness carefully to avoid overcooking and mushiness.
Good to Know
Refrigerate sauce and pasta separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on stovetop with a splash of water.
Prepare sun-dried tomatoes and chop vegetables up to 1 day ahead. Assemble and cook within 30 minutes of serving for best pasta texture.
Spoon sauce and chicken over hot pasta. Garnish with additional fresh thyme if desired.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the vermouth deglazing step to avoid losing built-up flavors.
Do not overcook zucchini to avoid mushy texture in the finished dish.
Do not skip coating chicken evenly in flour to avoid inconsistent browning.
Substitutions
similar cooking time and texture
reconstitute according to product instructions