$14.55 Total
5 Meals at $2.91 per Meal. Plus extra sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs chicken – $4.98
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil (like canola) – $0.04
• 1 lb penne pasta (gluten free) – $2.39
• 2 bell peppers – $1.98
• .5 lb broccoli – $0.80

For the Spicy Marinara:

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil – $0.09
• 1 28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes – $1.39
• 5 cloves garlic, minced – $0.20
• 1 yellow onion, diced – $0.87
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar – $0.14
• 1 cup wine (we used a very cheap cabernet) – $0.94
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste – $0.23
• .5 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 4 leaves fresh sage $0.50
• Tsp red pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• .5 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Method:

For the Spicy Marinara:

1. Add olive oil to pot (2.5 quarts or larger) on medium heat.
2. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned nicely – about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes, squishing into the pot by hand (not required, but makes it easier on your blender later on).
5. Add wine and stir in the spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer 45-50 minutes, uncovered.
6. Add 1/4 cup water to thin it out, if needed.
7. At the end of the simmer, add the balsamic vinegar.
8. Finally, use an immersion blender to blend sauce to your desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a normal blender but BE CAREFUL. Let the sauce cool before adding it to the blender, and make sure steam can escape – otherwise, you will have a very messy explosion on your hands. And your counter. And floor. And clothes. And… well, you get the idea.

For the Chicken:

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and flatten them out (with a pan or rolling pan or anything else you can use to give ‘em a good whack).
2. Season both sides with salt and fresh cracked pepper (most of the flavor is coming from the marinara, so you don’t need much here).
3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Let it get rippin’ hot so that we can get a nice sear. Once hot, add neutral oil (canola works great, you want something with a high smoke point).
4. Once the oil is smoking a little, turn on your vent hood and begin cooking the chicken in batches. I do about two halves of a breast at a time, typically, to keep from crowding the pan.
5. Cook about 2.5-3.5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken, then flip and repeat. Remove chicken once it reaches 165°F internally.

For the Veggies:

1. Dice to your desired size, put a cast iron skillet on the stove and crank it up to high.
2. Once the skillet is about as hot as the hinges on the gates of Hades, cook the veggies in batches. We want a quick sear to keep them somewhat crispy. I only had to keep them on for about two minutes. Just enough to get some color on them.
3. Remove the veggies and set aside before assembling your meals.

At some point, likely while the chicken or veggies are cooking, cook your pasta according to the package instructions.

Notes:

• The marinara is really the star of the show. The rest of this stuff is mostly just a vessel to convey this delicious, spicy concoction to your mouth. Plus nutrients, I suppose.
• We want a quick sear on the veggies to preserve some of the crispy texture. When the meal is reheated, they’ll get steamed a little more, and we don’t want them to be mush.
• A bit of fresh parsley sprinkled over top to brighten up the flavor would be an excellent addition.
• A note about gluten free pasta: In our experiences so far, gluten free pasta gets a little… odd… after it cools off. We’ve tried a few different brands, but they all kind of break up into little pieces. It’s not a deal breaker, especially when you bury the pasta in sauce, but it is worth noting.

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Got questions, critiques, or insults? Just let us know. Cheers, y’all.