Nif's Chicken And Spaghetti With A Middle Eastern Twist

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 whole chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin (more if you like it)
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• chicken broth, if necessary
• 1/3 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 lb spaghetti (or fettucine, tagliatelle or linguine)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f pour oil into a small bowl and mix in cumin, allspice and cayenne pepper. using your hands rub the seasoned oil all over your chicken. sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 2 place the chicken, breast-side down in a roasting pan and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until well browned and cooked through, turning it over toward the end to brown the breast. when the chicken's nearly ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• 3 take the chicken out of the oven and take the meat off the bone, leaving the skin on, except for the thick fatty stuff. tear the chicken into medium-sized pieces. make sure you tear the chicken apart over the roasting pan so you keep the juices in there for the sauce. you can use a knife and fork to tear it apart or wait until it is cooler and do it with your hands. discard bones and put the chicken meat aside and keep warm.
• 4 for the sauce, pour all the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan. you will need about 1 cup, so add chicken broth if necessary. add the drained sultanas and the pine nuts. begin to simmer the sauce when you are ready to cook the pasta. very important - taste the sauce and add more seasoning if you think it needs more.
• 5 cook and drain the pasta (do not rinse your pasta), and toss it in the warm pot with the sauce until spaghetti is coated. add chicken pieces and gently toss and put in large bowl. sprinkle with almonds and parsley.