Posted at http://deepsouthdish.com/
1 small hen, boiled - reserve broth
3 large tomatoes, skinned & chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 of a Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped fine
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
1 can of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
Couple shakes of dried parsley flakes
Couple shakes of Italian seasoning
Couple dashes of Cajun seasoning, optional
Couple shakes of poultry seasoning
2 bay leaves
Up to 2 cups of broth left from the hen, or substitute chicken stock
1 pound package of angel hair, vermicelli or spaghetti noodles
Boil the hen in salted water until meat is cooked through. Reserve 2 cups of the broth, set hen aside to cool. Once cooled, debone and shred the meat; set aside.
Next get the skin off of the tomatoes. Don't skip this step! You'll end up with inedible tomato skins cluttering up your sauce. Bring a pot of water to a boil; set aside a separate bowl of ice water. Lightly cut a crosshatch into the skin of the bottom side of the tomato. When the water comes to a boil, carefully add the tomatoes and let them boil for a minute or three or until the skin begins to crack and separate. Remove the tomato and plunge it into the ice water bath to stop the cooking process and cool the tomato. Once cooled, peel off the skins and then chop the tomato, reserving all of the juice that accumulates.
Prepare pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion, celery, garlic and salt, saute for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the tomatoes, basil, tomato sauce, sugar, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, poultry seasoning; bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour or until reduced and thickened. Stir in the chicken and enough broth from the stock you reserved from the hen (or use a commercial chicken stock) until it reaches the desired consistency. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
