Chicken parmigiana is a classic favorite for many, and when you pair that chicken with some delicious pasta, you’ve got yourself the ideal Italian meal! Our medicated recipe offers a modern spin on this traditional Italian dish. This cannabis-chicken parmigiana pasta is a healthy and pasta-based version that contains all the flavors and ingredients you would find in this classic meal.

Here’s What You Need:

1 pound rigatoni pasta

2 whole boneless organic chicken breasts (diced into bite-size pieces)

3 tablespoons cannabis-infused extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon cannabis-infused butter

1 large white onion (finely diced)

3 cloves of garlic (finely minced)

1 jar marinara sauce

½ cup water (to rinse out the marinara jar)

8 oz fresh mozzarella (cubed)

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup fresh Parmesan cheese shavings

Salt and pepper

Optional seasonings: fresh parsley, dried oregano, basil, etc.

Optional garnishes: freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves (chiffonade)

How to Make Cannabis-Chicken Parmigiana Pasta

To begin, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Al dente would be perfect for this meal. It is recommended that you boil and cook the pasta at the same time that you begin to cook the chicken and marinara sauce. That way, when the pasta is drained and ready to serve, the rest of the meal will be complete as well! (Nobody likes dried out pasta).

Rinse and chop up the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. It is recommended that you butterfly (or slice length-wise) each chicken breast, yielding 4 thinner breast fillets. Continue to slice and chop these 4 fillets into bite-size pieces. Set these chicken pieces to the side for now and wash your hands thoroughly.

Next, in a large skillet or sauce pan heat up the cannabis-infused olive oil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes – watch closely as you do not want your oil to smoke. Add the diced chicken in a single layer to the skillet and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper. Let the chicken cook, untouched, for 3-4 minutes. Then, mix the chicken around and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the skillet, plate them and leave them to the side for now – the chicken will finish cooking in the marinara sauce.

Now, without cleaning the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, add in 1 tablespoon of cannabis-infused butter, and 1 tablespoon of cannabis-infused extra virgin olive oil and allow it to melt. Add the diced onions and minced garlic, give everything a good stir and allow the veggies to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions begin to look golden-brown and translucent.

Then, reduce the heat to low and pour in the marinara sauce, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine – make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the bits of veggies and chicken that were lingering and incorporate them into the sauce. Add ½ cup of water to your now empty, but still dirty, marinara jar. Place the cap back on and shake the jar until the water has cleaned off the sides, and you have a ½ cup of some tomato-y juice. Pour this into the skillet and stir.

After, add in ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and stir once more.

Proceed to add the almost-cooked-chicken back into the sauce pan and stir well to combine everything. Allow the sauce to cook for another 6 minutes (feel free to put a lid on the skillet during this time).

Next, season the sauce by adding in the red pepper flakes and a bit more salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some oregano, basil, or fresh parsley at this point. Taste your sauce and adjust any seasonings if necessary.

Finally, after the sauce is bubbling hot and finished cooking, add the medium-size chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese. Allow the cheese to melt for about 3 minutes. Err on the side of caution and let the chunks remain more intact rather than having them fall apart – you do not want the cheese to completely melt away into the sauce.

To serve, create a generously portioned bed of rigatoni on a dinner plate, and top it off with a few spoon fulls of the chunky, chicken parmigiana sauce. Garnish your meal with some more freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or some fresh basil leaves, and serve with a slice of your freshest Italian bread.

Buon appetito!

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great Edibles Recipes series!