Pasta alla Chiara

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a pasta dish with my name in Italian, Chiara, in it.  I'm going with it.  I make this pasta dish or a variation on it quite a lot with whatever's in season, so here is the August 2009 version (tonight's dinner): 

Pasta alla Chiara 

-2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used rotini today)

-5-6 fresh tomatoes, stems removed and chopped into 1/2" pieces

-1/4 cup dry red wine (such as Chianti)

-2 tbsp. tomato paste

-2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced

-4 tbsp. olive oil

-1 tsp. dried oregano 

-Salt and pepper to taste

-1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

-2 cups fresh or 1 bag frozen spinach 

-1 large zucchini, stem removed and chopped into 1/2" pieces

-1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, rinsed, patted dry and cut into bite-sized pieces

-Fresh mozzarella

-Fresh basil 

In a large stockpot, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and brown.  Add chopped tomatoes and cook, lid on, until tomatoes have broken down and are simmering away, about 10 minutes.  Add tomato paste, wine, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  After another 10-15 minutes have elapsed, add zucchini and artichokes, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  

In the meantime, heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Brown chicken, and add it and the spinach to the tomato sauce.  When spinach has wilted, the sauce is ready.

Serve over the whole wheat pasta (shouldn't take more than 8 minutes to cook) with slices of fresh mozzarella on top. 

In the winter, I tend to make this with a locally-made caseless Italian turkey sausage.  Yum.

Serves two with leftovers.