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Oregon Olive Mill: Baked Chicken Parmesan Rigatoni with Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Sauce

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Photo Courtesy of Oregon Olive Mill

When I was asked to feature Oregon Olive Mill‘s extra virgin olive oil on my blog, I was just delighted!  You all know how much we use olive oil to cook with – you really can’t beat its flavor and versatility.  The sampler they sent to me contained three beautiful stacked bottles with varieties ranging from mildest to most robust from the top down.

In general, it’s best to use milder oils for salad dressings and fresh vegetables and darker oils for cooking and finishing meats.  So, we decided to create a meal that would use all three oils to their best advantage:  Arbequina for Vinaigrette; Koroneiki for Roasted Tomatoes; and Tuscan for Breaded Chicken.

This meal can be made in stages.  We roasted and pureed the tomatoes one day and made the rest of the meal the next day.  

Yummy, fresh salad with light vinaigrette
Butter Lettuce Cups

Line salad bowls with Butter lettuce leaves.
Fill with:
Julienned Carrots
Thinly sliced Green Onions
1 Avocado, cubed
Gorgonzola Cheese.
Top with Country French Vinaigrette made with Red Wine Vinegar and Arbequina Olive Oil.

Roasted Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic and Basil sauteed in Koroneiki Olive Oil

Roasted Tomato Sauce


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Quarter 3 pounds Roma Tomatoes.
Place cut-side up on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with Oregon Olive Mill’s Koroneiki Olive Oil and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper.

Place in the oven for one hour.

Scoop tomatoes and juice into a food mill fitted with the medium plate.
Puree into a bowl.
This will yield about 4 cups.
At this point, you can cover the puree and chill it.
Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.

In a medium saucepan, saute:
2 Tablespoons Koroneiki Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, finely diced
When Onions are softened, stir in reserved Tomato Puree.
Continue to stir until sauce is heated through, then add 3 teaspoons Basil, minced.


Perfect comfort food for a cool winter evening – creamy and delicious!
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Ready for the oven!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook a 1-pound box of Rigatoni according to package directions.
Drain pasta and stir in:
3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
When pasta is coated with cheeses, stir in about 3 cups Roasted Tomato Sauce.
Spray a 9 – 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and spread pasta in an even layer.

While pasta is cooking, butterfly 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Pour a little Tuscan Olive Oil on a plate.
In a shallow bowl, stir together 1 cup of Breadcrumbs with 1 teaspoon Italian Herb Mix.
Coat the chicken in Tuscan Olive Oil, then dredge both sides in Bread Crumbs.
The chicken is so tender

In a large skillet, over medium heat, pan-fry the breaded chicken in 3 – 4 Tablespoons Tuscan Olive Oil, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes on each side.
Place 4 pieces of chicken evenly spread on top of pasta.
Distribute remaining Roasted Tomato Sauce evenly on top of them, then sprinkle some grated Parmesan Cheese on top of each one.

Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is nicely melted.
Spoon pasta and one piece of chicken into pasta bowls.


For additional information on the Oregon Olive Mill,or to order some of their hand-crafted gourmet products, visit their website at:  http://redridgefarms.com/oregon-olive-mill


Enjoy!


View of downtown Portland from the Willamette River from our trip last June.

These recipes are provided for your personal use. If you publish them, or re-post them, please give me credit. Grazie e Buon Appetito!

Comments

  5. Cocoa and Lavender says

    I remember in college I had a friend who tasted his olive oil. I thought it was so gross to taste oil because the only oil I ever knew until then was Wesson. And who would EVER taste Wesson in its own, right? (I never had butter until college, either…) Now I am an EVOO lover – I can’t imagine a day without it. The chicken parm and salad look just scrumptious! ~ David