Chicken and Rotini with Eggplant. Boneless chicken breasts and eggplant baked in the oven with marinara sauce and basil then served over a bed of whole wheat rotini pasta
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Preparing the Chicken and Eggplant
In a 9x9 baking dish spoon 4 oz. of marinara sauce onto the bottom and spread evenly. Place the chicken breasts and eggplant halves on top of the sauce.
Next, spoon another 4 oz. of marinara sauce evenly over the chicken and eggplant. Place some fresh basil pieces (to taste) on top of the chicken and eggplant.
Place into the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.
Preparing the Pasta:
While the chicken is baking, in a large pot, prepare the rotini pasta according to the package instructions for al dente pasta.
Drain the water from the pasta and place the pasta back into a large pot.
Bringing it All Together:
When the chicken has finished baking, add 16 oz. of marinara sauce to the pasta and bring to a medium heat.
Cook the pasta until it reaches your desired heat, about 2-3 minutes, mixing occasionally. Finally, combine the chicken, eggplant, and pasta onto a plate to serve.
To Serve:
Place the rotini on one half of the plate and add some sliced chicken pieces.
On the other half of the plate place an eggplant half. Add any additional marinara sauce, grated cheese, and basil to taste.
Notes
Invent Your Recipe:I am using eggplant in this dish to add some wonderful texture and flavor. However, you can use other vegetables. Since I am baking the eggplant with the chicken in the first part of the recipe, I would recommend using a vegetable that bakes well. I would recommend zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, or winter squash like acorn or butternut, to name a few options.To really change up the appearance and taste of the dish try making this recipe with alfredo or vodka sauce.