| 1/2 lb. pasta (penne works well) | 2 heaping Tbl chopped garlic |
| 2 heaping tsp chopped shallots | 6 oz. sliced portobello mushrooms |
| 2/3 lb chicken breast cutlets (faster if they are thin, but not critical) | 1 cup good red wine (Oligitum Merlot works really well) |
| 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatos (optionally with stuff like onion) | Oregano |
| Black pepper | Basil |
| Tarragon | Tomato paste as needed (~2-3 oz) |
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, cool and set aside, retaining the hot water. Meanwhile, saute garlic and shallots briefly in non-stick skillet (no oil needed). Add mushrooms and cook until decently cooked. Cut up mushrooms with spatula if slices are overlarge. Set aside.
Take chicken out of fridge 5-10 minutes in advance. Pat dry.
Heat anodized pot over medium heat until edges are hot to the touch, and a tsp of butter bubbles but does not burn. Place chicken in pot (with little or no additional oil); it should stick fast. Saute over medium heat until chicken releases of its own accord. Flip and sear other side similarly. When released, take off heat, place on oven-safe plate, cover loosely, and put in warm oven.
Pour wine into pot to deglaze; raise heat. Cook wine until it begins to reduce, scraping off the bottom of the pot. Add tomatos. Add mushrooms, garlic and shallots. Spice to taste (a healthy covering of oregano, less of the others). Cook for a couple of minutes. Add enough tomato paste to thicken sauce.
Return pasta to hot water to reheat, and drain again. Spoon sauce over pasta and chicken to taste, and serve immediately. Add grated parmesan if desired.
Takes 1 - 1.5 hours all told, but could probably be done a bit faster by multitasking a little more intensely.