I was looking to make something a bit more interesting than plain old spaghetti for dinner the other night, working with limited time and ingredients. My usual quick fancied-up spaghetti sauce, which I’m not sure I’ve ever posted here, adds a bit of cream to jarred sauce. Since I didn’t have any cream on hand, I was looking for something else to provide a similar effect, and came across a tomato-mascarpone sauce that fit the bill. With a little sauteed chicken for protein, it was a very tasty meal that didn’t take all evening to put together. The leftover mascarpone gave me the perfect excuse to make banana-Nutella pancakes for breakfast the next day too, and you can’t beat that!

This post marks my return to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by the lovely Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. Hopefully it won’t be quite so long before my next entry!

Angel Hair with Chicken and Tomato-Mascarpone Sauce

2 T olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, roughly sliced
1/3 C white wine
Salt and pepper
1/4 C onion, diced
1 14-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, chopped, with juices
1 tsp dried basil
4 oz mascarpone cheese

1/2 lb angel hair pasta

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; add garlic and saute until just beginning to turn golden brown. Add chicken, season with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper, and saute until just cooked through. Add wine and stir to bring up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, then turn heat to medium high and reduce liquids.

Remove chicken from pan and add onion; saute until just translucent, then add tomatoes with juices, and basil. Simmer for several minutes to combine flavors, then cool slightly while you boil water for the pasta. Using a blender, puree the tomato-onion sauce with the mascarpone until homogenous, then return to skillet with chicken, adjust seasonings if necessary, and keep warm until the pasta has finished cooking.

Drain cooked pasta, and toss with the sauce. Top with shredded parmesan cheese and serve.

Source: Adapted from The Cookmobile