Italian Chicken in Hawaii

One of my Hawaii friends, a true kama'aina (native) who chooses a great restaurant every time we visit, took us for dinner to an Italian restaurant in Manoa behind the University of Hawaii, while we were in the Islands. Donato's was crowded that evening so we strolled around the Manoa Marketplace while we waited for a table. It was worth the wait.

My Chicken Pomodoro was served over angel hair pasta and was rich with mushrooms, onions, artichoke hearts and fresh tomatoes. It was so good, I tried to recreate it the next day at home and was only partially successful. Here's how I think you could make it better:

Prepare fresh tomato sauce by removing skins from Roma tomatoes and coarsely chopping them. Saute some chopped onion and minced garlic just until translucent and soft - don't scorch the garlic - then add some sliced mushrooms and brown them lightly. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice plus the artichoke hearts with a little tomato paste to round out the taste and perhaps some Italian seasoning. Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the chicken pieces.

Pound boneless chicken pieces until uniformly flat, about 1/2 - 3/4" thick. Lightly flour the pieces. Quickly saute the chicken in some hot olive oil, until parts of it are crispy and it is nicely browned. Boil the pasta in salted water, plate the pasta on a dished platter, top with crispy browned chicken pieces and spoon the sauce over the whole dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with basil leaves.

And, if you have a yen for Italian food on your next trip to Hawaii, I can recommend Donato's - but make a reservation or go early!