The summer of 2015 will got down as a great tomato year for the farmers who run our CSA. Week after week, our share is packed with tomatoes, so many tomatoes we’re hard-pressed to eat them all. If you’re dealing with a glut of tomatoes, this Fantastic Friday recipe uses oodles of them. And it’s delicious. Enjoy!
Pasta in Garlic Gravy with Lemon and Herb Chicken
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast sliced into 1 inch chunks
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Mix the above ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.
About 1/2 hour before serving time, prepare 1/2 pound spaghetti pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta water is boiling, saute the marinated chicken in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside. Then prepare the gravy, following the directions below.
½ stick (1/4 cup) margarine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
Heat margarine and olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant and soft. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken stock, whisking constantly. Simmer gravy until thickened. Add the chopped basil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the sauteed chicken and cooked pasta to the gravy. Toss until gravy coats the chicken and pasta. Add the cherry tomatoes and serve with Parmesan cheese on the side. Makes 5-6 servings.
Note: This recipe makes a lot of thin gravy. For those who like a thicker gravy (like us), use 4 tablespoons of flour. If you like less gravy, cut the amount of olive oil, margarine, and chicken stock by half, but leave the flour at 2 tablespoons. Hiram says the leftovers for this dish taste better than when originally served.
