Two easy pasta dishes
Mar. 26th, 2006 03:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pjthompsonETA: Upon cooking this dish tonight, I told you way too much dried herb on this first one. 1/2 teaspoon should be enough. And the shallots and onions are mixed in raw. The only thing cooked in this dish is the pasta.
One of these can be done completely vegetarian or with chicken added. The second has chicken, but both are really easy. I'll be cooking the Pasta Vinaigrette in a bit at my roommate's request.
Pasta Vinaigrette
This can be done completely vegetarian, but I also like to use it with leftover chicken—maybe the second day on one of those supermarket roasters, or whatever. This is one I've developed over the years so there aren't any hard and fast measurements. This makes enough for a coupla really hungry folks or maybe four folks who are in control of themselves.
1/4 chopped shallots (approx.)
1/2 chopped green onions (approx.)
1 c. grated Parmesan (though the Kraft stuff works just fine) (I am not a food snob) (most days)
1/2 package (?) angel hair pasta (though this works with spirals, penne, whatever you've got in the pantry)
2 c. (approx.) cooked and cubed chicken (optional)
Dressing
4 or 5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
4-5 cloves crushed garlic
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more, or less)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings, or 1/4 teaspoon each of dried oregano and thyme
I make the dressing first and let all the ingredients sit together while I do everything else. This allows the dried herbs to reconstitute a bit and the flavors to merge. When the pasta is done (and I prefer mine al dente), stir up the dressing really well to mix everything up again, then dump it in the pasta and toss well. Throw in the other ingredients except the cheese and stir it up again, then stir in the cheese. It won't have sauce, but those flavors absorb into the pasta beautifully. You can sprinkle more Parmesan on top if you want to be really wild and crazy.
Pasta Swirls with Chicken-Artichoke Wine Sauce
(from Cooking Light magazine) (but I made it last weekend and adapted it and yum)
1 (12-oz) package of spirals
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds chicken breast tender, cut into bite-sized pieces
(See, me--I like to cook the boneless chicken breast whole and cut them up. Much more tender that way. About two boneless breasts will do the trick.)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. white wine (and if a bit more sloshes in, no big whoop)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15-oz) cans artichoke quarters, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped (not the kind in oil, obviously)
1/2 c. (2 oz) grated Parmesan (Dare I say it? Kraft, anyone?)
1/3 c. finely chopped basil
(Me, I'm allergic to basil--woe is me!--so I made do with about 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings and it was still delish)
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. (I salted. Afterwards, I tossed the pasta with a bit of olive oil before adding the other stuff. Sue me.)
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan (yes, whole breasts is fine) (are fine?). Sauté 2 minutes or until browned. (Obviously, more than two minutes if whole breasts are used.) Add garlic, sauté 1 minute. Add wine, salt, pepper, and artichokes; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and 1/3 cup basil. (Or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning.) Place sauce and pasta in a large bowl, stir gentle to combine. Yield: 6 servings of 1-1/3 cups each. (Huh.)
One of these can be done completely vegetarian or with chicken added. The second has chicken, but both are really easy. I'll be cooking the Pasta Vinaigrette in a bit at my roommate's request.
Pasta Vinaigrette
This can be done completely vegetarian, but I also like to use it with leftover chicken—maybe the second day on one of those supermarket roasters, or whatever. This is one I've developed over the years so there aren't any hard and fast measurements. This makes enough for a coupla really hungry folks or maybe four folks who are in control of themselves.
1/4 chopped shallots (approx.)
1/2 chopped green onions (approx.)
1 c. grated Parmesan (though the Kraft stuff works just fine) (I am not a food snob) (most days)
1/2 package (?) angel hair pasta (though this works with spirals, penne, whatever you've got in the pantry)
2 c. (approx.) cooked and cubed chicken (optional)
Dressing
4 or 5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
4-5 cloves crushed garlic
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more, or less)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings, or 1/4 teaspoon each of dried oregano and thyme
I make the dressing first and let all the ingredients sit together while I do everything else. This allows the dried herbs to reconstitute a bit and the flavors to merge. When the pasta is done (and I prefer mine al dente), stir up the dressing really well to mix everything up again, then dump it in the pasta and toss well. Throw in the other ingredients except the cheese and stir it up again, then stir in the cheese. It won't have sauce, but those flavors absorb into the pasta beautifully. You can sprinkle more Parmesan on top if you want to be really wild and crazy.
Pasta Swirls with Chicken-Artichoke Wine Sauce
(from Cooking Light magazine) (but I made it last weekend and adapted it and yum)
1 (12-oz) package of spirals
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds chicken breast tender, cut into bite-sized pieces
(See, me--I like to cook the boneless chicken breast whole and cut them up. Much more tender that way. About two boneless breasts will do the trick.)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. white wine (and if a bit more sloshes in, no big whoop)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15-oz) cans artichoke quarters, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped (not the kind in oil, obviously)
1/2 c. (2 oz) grated Parmesan (Dare I say it? Kraft, anyone?)
1/3 c. finely chopped basil
(Me, I'm allergic to basil--woe is me!--so I made do with about 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings and it was still delish)
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. (I salted. Afterwards, I tossed the pasta with a bit of olive oil before adding the other stuff. Sue me.)
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan (yes, whole breasts is fine) (are fine?). Sauté 2 minutes or until browned. (Obviously, more than two minutes if whole breasts are used.) Add garlic, sauté 1 minute. Add wine, salt, pepper, and artichokes; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and 1/3 cup basil. (Or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning.) Place sauce and pasta in a large bowl, stir gentle to combine. Yield: 6 servings of 1-1/3 cups each. (Huh.)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-26 04:15 pm (UTC)If you must use dried herbs, rub them between your fingers or your palms before tossing them in the dressing. Also, never EVER use raw garlic in a vinaigrette when sauteed shallots are in the basic sauce. Shallots are a lovely, delicate blend of the flavors of onion and garlic, and would be overwhelmed by the pungency of raw garlic. If you absolutely must have garlic in this dish, sauté the garlic with the shallots.
As for your second recipe, I second your recommendation of cooking the chicken breasts whole, if for the only reason that you have less handling of raw poultry that way.
OMG! You poor thing! Allergic to basil? Oh, the horror! The horror!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-26 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-26 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-27 09:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-26 05:12 pm (UTC)An yes,it was a tragic day. I kept wondering why horrible things happened to me when I ate pesto--one of my favoritest foods. When I discovered what it was I went into mourning and wore black for a year.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-26 06:51 pm (UTC)Wait, that sounded a little off. I'm allergic to many things that I eat anyway.
No, that still doesn't sound right.
Never mind.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-27 09:36 am (UTC)