Pasta

I tutored last night until 7:30. My big tutoring job cancelled, so I had time to make some dinner before I went to my 6:30 tutoring gig. I'm trying to clean out the freezer because Rob got a deer tag, and we could get some really good venison in the freezer in the next month.

In August one of my girlfriends brought over two of the biggest zucchini I had ever seen. There was no way I could use it all for stir fry, so I grated it and put it in the freezer. I also had two errant chicken breasts sitting in the freezer door, so I used them. Two weeks ago I had to pull my tomato plants out of the ground and hang them in the garage. It's been pretty cold at night. Yesterday I pulled all the tomatoes off the vines, green or no and brought them in. I used up all the ripe tomatos I had, we're going to be gone this weekend, so I'll have some more ripe by the time we get back.

I cut up about 5 or six medium sized tomatoes into small dice. I took one red onion and chopped it into small dice as well, and pulled the jar of minced garlic out of the fridge. I sauteed the onion with 1 tbs of chopped garlic in 2 tbs of olive oil. When the onions were soft I added the tomatoes. I sauteed them until everything was a sweet smelling paste. I added about 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 1 tsp of fresh rosemary, 1 tsp of fresh thyme, and 1 tbs of fresh basil. My herbs are going great guns in the house. It's wonderful to be able to use them. Add a little S and P and you are good to go.

I sliced the chicken breasts really thin and sauteed them in the pan I had cooked the tomato mixture in. I also added abourt 3/4 cup of the shredded zucchini and sauteed it until the chicken was cooked through.

I had a package of pennette pasta. The little penne. I boiled up about 3/4 of the package with some salt and olive oil.

I grated about 1.5 cups of aged edam cheese. I didn't have any romano so I used what I had.

In an eight or nine inch round casserole pan, or an eight inch square pan, put a layer of the tomato sauce. Add a layer of penne, a layer of the chicken and zucchini mixture and a layer of cheese. Repeat. Finish the dish with a layer of cheese.

I put the dish in the oven on 325 for an hour. It went into the oven right before I left to tutor and it came out an ahour later when I got home. The timing was perfect.

Rob had two helpings, so it must have been good. I served it with salad and some challah. I need to make some new challah today for shabbat tomorrow. Even though we are going to Reno to see Lili I still need challah. I'm thinking tonite will be leftovers, but I'm just not sure.