Whole Chicken Pt.1: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

There's nothing like a bit of frugal cooking! Cheap cuts and pantry staples often come together to form delicious meals that can have far more flavour than something that costs ten times the amount. This can also extend to getting the most out of an expensive ingredient by using it to its full potential. This is part 1 of 3 of my favourite ways to use a whole chicken to feed 4 people for 3 nights. A chicken can be a relatively expensive purchase (especially if, like me, you buy organic or free range) but by getting 12 dinners out of it, it becomes quite cheap. 

First I like to pot roast the chicken in a tomato sauce. All the wonderful juices from the chicken pour out into the sauce and give it a wonderful flavour, perfect over pasta. This leaves us still with a full chicken to use up over the next two days.

Serves 4

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
50 ml of White Wine (optional)
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Whole Chicken (organic or free range if possible)
Pinch of Dried Marjoram
400g Spaghetti
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (to serve)

Use a pot/casserole big enough to hold the chicken and ensure it has a tight fitting lid.

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the garlic and chilli. Season well and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften, being careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the wine and allow the alcohol to cook off for a few minutes before adding the tins of tomatoes. Bring to the boil and add the bay leaf and oregano.

3. Put the chicken on top of the sauce and pour over the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Season well with salt, pepper and dried marjoram. Put the lid on the pot and put into a pre heated 190 degree oven for about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.

4. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in plenty (4 litres or more) of salted boiling water until al dente (or 1 minute less than packet instructions). Drain and add to the sauce. Toss well to coat all the pasta and serve with some freshly grated parmesan over the top.