Here’s a childhood favorite that was forgotten over the years. A friend recently reminded me of this meal and it took a while to recall how much I enjoyed it as a child. My sister vividly remembers and makes it frequently for her kids. My family enjoyed it so much there were hardly any leftovers for the next day. My mom adds peas and carrots or mixed veggies instead of the chopped veggies, but I know my kids will not enjoy that. Feel free to add whatever veggies you like.
Clean chicken removing any feathers or excess skin. Rinse with the juice of a lemon and water. Drain, place in a large bowl and set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
Season chicken with green seasoning, minced garlic, tomato, peppers(if using), scallions, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper. Marinate for a minimum of 30 mins or overnight in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add brown sugar and allow it to bubble, froth, expand and darken. It takes about 5 mins so be patient. If it turns black to have to start back so keep a close eye on it.
Add seasoned chicken, raise heat to high and stir well to combine with the browning.
Cover and cook for 25 mins, stirring every ten minutes. The chicken should release and cook in its own juices.
Meanwhile, boil pasta until al dente and drain. I do not add the pasta to cook directly in the same pot because I am afraid that the pasta will absorb the watery flavor from all that liquid that needs to be added to cook it. Therefore, I allow the sauce to thicken first, then add in the pasta. The pasta gets coated with the already flavorful gravy. However, feel free to do what you feel comfortable with.
After 25-30 minutes, when the chicken is fully cooked, add in pasta bell peppers, scallions, pimentos, carrots (or your favorite veggies) and allow it to cook for 5 minutes to absorb the flavor. The pasta should not overcook and become mushy.