Sauceless Pasta with Chicken
So, it's Friday night. Long week and you are tired but you want something delicious, healthy and decadent for dinner just because you survived the rat race. This is the dish for you! Sauceless Pasta with Chicken.
I used chicken breast thin slices for this dish. I marinated them simply in lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh basil and oregano and dried Italian seasoning. I marinated them for thirty minutes, but if you can marinate them longer, the longer the better. I placed three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (evoo), the herbs and lemon and seasoning in a zip bag, shook the bag until each piece was covered and let it sit in the frig.
Meanwhile, I prepared the rest of the dish.
Ingredients
one pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 red small red onion, slivered
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped + 20 cloves, halved
fresh basil and oregano, torn
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
spaghetti or fettuccine
1 small package pancetta
1 lemon, juice and zest
1/4 cup evoo
2-3 tabs butter
1/4 cup wine or vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 leaves fresh basil and 2 sprigs thyme and oregano
*dice the basil and oregano leaves, strip the thyme
In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and zest, the evoo, the vinegar, the black pepper and salt, and fresh herbs. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients. This is your pasta flavor base in a bit. Set this bowl aside.
In a small skillet, crisp up the pre-diced pancetta.
Add four quarts of water to a pot over high heat.
Rinse and combine the pint of tomatoes, onion and garlic.
Top, crisped pancetta bits. Center, fresh tomatoes. Here, marinating the onions, tomatoes and garlic in the vinaigrette.
At this time, add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the marinade in a bowl.
Remove the chicken from the zip-lock bag and gently sear them in the same skillet the pancetta had been crisped in.
Oven baked thin chicken breast strips, seasoned simply with Italian seasoning and fresh garlic.
Bring the pot of water to a boil and liberally add salt. It is the only chance you have to season the pasta. Boil the pasta just until al dente, Follow the directions on the packaging. Here is the easy but tricky part. I know, I just messed you up. Have a strainer in the sink ready for the pasta. Before you strain the pasta, save half a cup of the starchy pasta water. Strain the pasta. Reduce the heat to low. Now....
Add two tabs of butter to the pasta pot.
Add two tablespoons of evoo to the pasta pot.
Add the tomatoes and all the marinade to the pasta pot.
Add the starchy half cup of water.
Use tongs to toss the pasta with the rest of the ingredients until everything is coated. The aroma will be amazing.
Add parmesan cheese and the pancetta to the mix and toss well.
Serve however you wish, family style or individually. Place one or two pieces of chicken to each plate and remove the garlic.
Garnish with oregano, thyme and basil.
The pancetta adds a salty bite!
As always, friends, Thank You for your time and consideration! I truly appreciate your visit. Now, Go Cook Something For Someone You Love!❤
~Martin
In-House Cook
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