But another thing most people don't know is that you can often request the kitchen to make you your own creation - in fact a lot of cooks actually like it because it breaks up the monotony and gives them a chance to be a little creative. Since Jen does not like traditional tomato-based pasta sauces and can't have milk, this was a dish she started to request at Italian places.
As nearly always, it's been simplified over time but the basic makeup is very easy and very quick. Some of it can be pre-made (the chicken) and the rest of the ingredients we always keep in the fridge or pantry.
Ingredients:
2-3 servings of any cooked pasta (this is gluten-free penne made from quinoa and buckwheat)
1/2 lb chicken breast (or any other part if you prefer)
1/2 C julienned sundried tomato
1/2 C marinated artichoke hearts
1 small bunch of asparagus (or broccoli works well)
1 C sliced cremini mushrooms (not shown in photos - we were out)
1 C low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs butter or margarine
1 tsp dry marjoram
1 tsp dry oregano or basil
1/4 tsp sea salt
In a hot pan, brown the salted chicken breasts in a small amount of oil. Be careful to keep them juicy by not overcooking them. At the same time, boil the pasta to just underdone and drain the water.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate to rest. Put the butter and 1/2 of the chicken broth in the pan and bring to a boil. Rough chop the chicken breast. Once the broth starts to boil, add the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a full boil, cooking the pasta to al dente and softening the asparagus. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a boil, reducing it by about half. Serve and garnish.
The point to the extra broth is in fact to serve it slightly soupy, especially if you use gluten-free pasta which will soak up the extra liquid quickly. Hope you enjoy!
Download recipe card
Images by MadeForJen
Wow, that pasta dish looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness. i don't follow a gluten-free diet but I really want to give this recipe a whirl!
ReplyDeleteThis dish can be made with regular pasta - in fact I would try different shapes as well since they each give a different feel. The point is to just make up something that YOU like by using easy to find ingredients and not just tomato sauce :)
Deletelove pasta, this was so good too! glad its gluten free for so many reasons. thanks love!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to give this pasta recipe a try....looks like heaven!
ReplyDeletesounds amazing and will try in my own kitchen but how the heck would you order something like this at a restaurant? do you give them the recipe?
ReplyDeleteJust tell the waiter. Most Italian restaurants have only tomato-based or cream-based sauces, and if you don't like those you shouldn't despair. Chefs, despite what you might think, love to be able to be a little creative so give them a reason to. I have a post coming up showing another variation served us at a place in NYC.
ReplyDelete