Roasted Chicken Ziti

This recipe was created at the request of one of my viewers. It gave me the perfect excuse to have a glass... or two, of Pinot Grigio ;) Baked Ziti can be done start to finish in 25 minutes however, I wanted to do something a little different. This dish can be done for under $15 and feeds 6 people. You can eat well on a budget!

Ingredients

For roasted chicken

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 sachet goya sazon sin achiote
• 1 tsp ground black peppercorn
• 1 tsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp olive oil

For ziti

• 1 box ziti (16 oz)
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Other Ingredients

• 1 bell pepper, julienned
• 4 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar

Preparation

• Clean chicken under cool running water and place on a baking tray
• Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt, black peppercorn, sazon, garlic and Italian seasoning
• Rub olive oil on the top side of each thigh and roast in oven at 350F for 45 minutes.
• Once chicken is done, chop into small chunks and set aside

• Bring water to a boil, add seasoning and cook ziti for 10 minutes (until al dente)
• Turn off heat, drain water and return to pan
• In another sauce pan, saute bell peppers. Once peppers start to become limp pour in diced tomatoes and chunks of chicken. Continue to saute for 5 more minutes, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.

• Pour in pasta sauce, cover and bring to a bubble
• Pour pasta sauce and chicken mixture over ziti and mix well.
• Transfer to a baking dish and top with mozzarella and sharp cheddar. 
• Bake at 375F for 15 minutes or until golden.