Chicken breast with Parma ham and crushed tomatoes

This is a great autumn recipe when tomatoes are still tasty and fresh basil is available.

The sauce is made from fresh crushed tomatoes, tomates concassées. This involves placing the tomatoes in boiling water for three minutes or so, then peeling and roughly chopping them. It is amazing how easy it is to peel the tomatoes after they have been immersed in boiling water for a few minutes! The rest of the sauce ingredients; fresh basil, olive oil, black pepper, and spring onions, reflect Mediterranean flavours.

Covering the chicken breasts with fresh basil leaves, a slice of Parma ham, and olive oil before baking them keeps the chicken succulent and tasty.

2 servings

2 organic chicken breasts, without skin
2 slices of Parma ham
A handful of fresh basil leaves
About 4- 5 tbsp. olive oil
8 black olives, stoned and chopped
2 tasty tomatoes
2 spring onions, cébettes, white parts only
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated parmesan
Whole wheat spaghetti for two servings

Preheat the oven to 200° C.

Cover the chicken breasts with a slice of Parma ham and tuck a lot of fresh basil in between. Save some basil leaves for the crushed tomato sauce. Place the chicken breasts in an oven- proof dish and drizzle a table spoon of olive oil over each breast. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the spaghetti and prepare the crushed tomato sauce.

Place the tomatoes in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove from the water, place in a bowl and peel them. Then chop roughly. Add the stoned and chopped olives, sliced spring onions, 2- 3 tablespoons olive oil, and black pepper. Carelessly mix the tomato sauce.

Chop the remaining basil and grate some parmesan.

Drain the cooked pasta and divide on the plates. Add the chopped basil in the tomato sauce and mix. Divide the tomato sauce on the pasta and sprinkle with parmesan. Place the chicken breasts on the side with some microwaved broccoli or butternut squash cubes.