Italian Chops

I don’t know if I have mentioned this before, but I am a huge Food Network junkie. I watch (at least) half dozen shows on the Food Network and this station definitely helps inspire me for dinner. They help me try foods that I wouldn’t know about or help me see foods in a different light altogether.

Now I have never been a big fan of pork, in general, mainly because I have not cared for the way this meat is prepared. The pork dishes that I have ate have always been tough & lacking in flavor.

A few months ago though, I saw an episode of Everyday Italian that changed my way of thinking about pork chops forever. This recipe has gone into our family rotation and it makes its appearance every couple of weeks. I made some modifications to the recipes (to fit with our family’s likes/dislikes) and came up with my own version of the recipe. The original version is just as delicious (I am sure), but this is my version of the dish that is now in our weekly rotation. Giada calls it Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola. Her dish is very spicy and has a lot of heat to it, but our family prefers the blander version. The name of her dish is definitely pretty & does fit with the spiciness factor of her dish (but is too difficult for me to pronounce or remember) so I have renamed this dish to Italian Chops and the family loves it! Whichever version you try, it makes for an affordable & elegant meal. I entertain with this dish all of the time and haven’t met a guest yet who didn’t enjoy it!!

Italian Chops
Serves Four

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops – bone in
1 can petite diced tomatoes – in juice
2 teaspoons Italian Seasonings Blend spices
¼ cup white wine (anything you would drink)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 pound angel hair pasta

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook until they are brown approximately 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and tent with foil to keep them warm. Add white wine to the pan and deglaze the pan with a whisk (getting up all of the drippings from the pan). Add the tomatoes with their juices, and spices.. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend and the juices thicken slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt.. Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices from the plate to the skillet and turn the pork chops to coat with the sauce. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente and then drain. Place 1 pork chop on top of the angel hair pasta onto each plate and spoon the sauce over the pork chops and pasta. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value):
Calories 293kcal
Protein 21g (42%)
Total Fat 19g (29%)
Sat. 4g (19%)
Chol. 59mg (20%)
Carb. 10g (3%)
Fiber 2g (7%)
Sugars 5g
Calcium 57mg (6%)
Iron 2mg (11%)

Published April 25, 2006 by:

Amy Allen Clark is the founder of MomAdvice.com. You can read all about her here.

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