“Kotopoulo Kokkinisto” or chicken slowly boiled in tomato sauce and paired with traditional Greek pasta called “chilopites” is among the ten most classic comfort dishes made in every Greek home at least once a month. An easy recipe that is made in 50 minutes total, with a purely homemade taste and guaranteed that it will excite the young and the elder.
Hands on: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
700gr (1.54 lb) chicken breast fillets (90gr/3.2 oz each)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek (cut in thin slices)
1 celery stick (finely chopped)
1 large chopped onion
1 medium carrot (grated)
1 can beer
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 stick of cinnamon
400 g (14.1 oz) tomato sauce (or grated fresh tomatoes)
Salt
Pepper
1 package/500 g/1.1 lb “Greek hilopites” or other similar pasta (tagliatelle)
How to do it
In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and sauté the chicken breast fillets at high heat for two minutes on both sides, until they ‘re color is changed.
Remove them from the saucepan and place them in a bowl.
Lower the heat and slowly sauté for at least a minute all the vegetables (onion, carrot, celery and leak).
When softened add the garlic, the cinnamon, the bay leaves and the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
Add back to the saucepan the sautéed chicken breasts and the grated tomato sauce and stir everything for 2 minutes.
Finally add the beer and stir well again. When the food has reached a boiling temperature, lower the heat and slowly simmer for about 15-20 minutes with the lid open.
If you think you need more liquid in the pot, add some hot water. Mind that the sauce after the simmering process should be thick.
Boil the pasta in salted water (separate pot) according to the ingredients on the package.
Finally mix well the tomato sauce with the pasta and you are ready to serve.
Add some grated kefalotyri cheese atop or any other hard cheese you like (eg parmesan).