Χυλοπίτικά με Κοτόπουλο -- Greek "Hilopites" pasta with chicken

One of the great things about New York is the ability to find excellent authentic ingredients from virtually any culture.  On a recent trip to Mediterranean Foods, a Greek market in Astoria, I picked up a bag of Hilopites pasta -- a traditional Greek pasta that resembles cut-up tiles.  Hilopites is traditionally used to make a chicken and pasta dish that is delicious, easy to make, and requires just one pot.

Greek "Hilopites" Pasta with Chicken

1 package hilopites pasta
1 whole chicken, cut up in parts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 28 ounce can of tomatoes, either chopped or strained is fine

Here's a version of the recipe in Greek

Pinch of cinnamon
2t oregano
3-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup parmesan, or if you have it kefalotiri (a Greek cheese, like parmesan)  
1/2 cup parsley to garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat until shimmering.  Brown the chicken on both sides, you may have to do it in two batches.  Once browned, removed the chicken and saute the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.  At this point you can drain some of the rendered chicken fat.

2.  Add the chicken back to the pot and add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and 2 cups of the chicken stock and cook in medium-high heat until it boils.  When it boils, lower the heat to simmer and cook about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked almost through.

3.  Add 1-2 more cups of chicken stock, depending on how liquidy the concoction looks.  Add the hilopites pasta and mix well.  Cook for about 6-8 minutes until the pasta is done

4.  Plate and sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

Makes: 6 servings
Total time: 30-40 minutes