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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, and Chicken

I am usually heard saying - "I don't like onions"....but that's not a true statement.  I enjoy onions, but they have to be cooked.  Not only do they have to be cooked, but they have to be cooked the right way.  They can't have any crunch left in them unless that crunch comes from caramelizing.  I like my onions to be sweet.  So, it's not that I don't like onions, it's that I'm very particular about onions.

So, when Chris heard that I was making a pasta dish with onions, he looked at me as if I had three heads.  I was a bit shocked that I was going for a pasta dish with onions as the star too, but I knew if I could get them to caramelize properly, there would be no problem at all.  Although, Chris wishes I had chopped the onions to make them finer, I actually didn't mind the thin slices.  They weren't slimey, so to me, it was a success!

Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomatoes and Chicken
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped (about 2 cups)
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
10 oz penne pasta

Directions:
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium and cook chicken until no longer pink in the middle, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove chicken and let drain on a plate lined with a paper towel; set aside.

Wipe out skillet and return to burner.  Reduce heat to medium low and add the extra virgin olive oil.  Add the onions and as soon as you hear them sizzling, reduce heat to low and allow the onions to caramelize.  This will take anywhere from 20-50 minutes.  Stir regularly to avoid burning.  You want the onions a wonderful, dark golden color, not black.

While the onions are caramelizing, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside (keep it warm if you can).

When the onions are just caramelized, add the tomatoes and Herbes de Provence and cook just long enough to heat the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper and toss with pasta.  Add another tablespoon of oil if the pasta is too dry.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Greek Aioli
Two Years Ago:  Zesty Grilled Fish

18 comments:

StephenC said...

I've been thnking about caramelized onions lately. Don't know why. Must have something to do with my three heads.

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

I love caramelized anything!! But especially onions. I was an onion hater before I discovered the beauty of carmelization and now im an addict :) delicious sounding dish Jenn. Perfect for weeknights!

Cranberry Morning said...

Love carmelized onions, and I actually make this recipe but I've never put Herbes de Provence in it. I will, next time. The only problem with pasta dishes is that they don't have natural boundaries, which makes it very easy to eat way-too-much. :-(( which is why I usually save these for a Friday night. I have no idea why, but pizza or pasta are our typical Friday Fare.

Mary said...

This sounds delicious, Jenn. I adore caramelized onions with just about anything. Hence, the reason why I cook them in huge batches and then freeze them in portions to use whenever I want!

Debra Hawkins said...

This looks delicious. I don't eat onions either. They make my husband really sick and so they just sort of fell out of my diet when I married him....

Unknown said...

Hi Jenn! I love this dish. You had me on the first word: pasta :)
I love all the ingredients and I can munch on this all day!

Pam said...

I love anything that has caramelized onions. This pasta looks fantastic Jenn.

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a well thought out dish. I share your love of caramelized onions and know I would really enjoy your pasta. This is a perfect weeknight meal. Have a wonderful evening, Jenn. Blessings...Mary

Blond Duck said...

I love caramelized onions!

Big Dude said...

Looks and sounds delicious Jenn. We had a pizza the other day with caramelized onions and it was very good. I'm a fan of onions it any style - our cooking trinity is onion, sweet pepper, and garlic.

Lea Ann said...

I'm a fan of all onions, however, you could put caramelized on a piece of cardboard and I'd eat it. Love them, and this pasta looks wonderful.

Angie's Recipes said...

You have me at caramelized onions. I love this easy and flavourful pasta.

Yenta Mary said...

You should try caramelizing Vidalia onions, which are already sweet to start. Oh, that's a good time!

Anonymous said...

Gosh that looks and sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.

I haven't been here in ages. Decided that I had to come say hi. :)

Tami
The Things We Find Inside

Unknown said...

Tami - thanks for coming back!! It's always good to see those who have been away for so long! Thank you!

Candace said...

This looks delicious! Simple pastas are my favorite and I love caramelized onions in everything. It is hands down my favorite way to have them. In my opinion, raw onions don't have a lot of flavor. I think they add a lot to a dish. Once you add heat to them though, they just explode with flavor. I am quite fond of eating those on their own. The sweeter, the better!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jenn, this is the recipe for me! Like you, I'm okay with onions as long as they are caramelized. And penne pasta is my all-time favorite pasta. I just made rustic bread that will go perfectly with this, so I'm off to buy some chicken.

Chris said...

The sweetness that caramelized onions bring to the party can't be replaced with "quickly sauteed" onions, don't you agree?