Caprese Chicken Pasta

Flavors of summertime Caprese salad combine with pasta and caramelized chicken to create a light, refreshing meal in one that is full of garden goodness. Marinating is done ahead of time. While the chicken is in the skillet, the veggies roast in the oven and the pasta cooks — all in just about a 12 to 15 minute time space. Then just assemble and enjoy!  

Caprese Chicken Pasta  4 servings (I actually cut ingredients in half and made it just for 2)

4 chicken tenders

Olive oil for cooking chicken and roasting vegetables

 

Chicken Marinade

3 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar  

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard 

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons EACH: Italian seasoning garlic powder, onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt  

Pinch pepper 

Roasted Veggies

About 6 ounces of grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 small to medium zucchini, halved and chunked

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons reserved chicken marinade 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Pasta

1/2 pound linguine or thin spaghetti

1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped

1/8 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped + extra leaves for garnishing if desired

1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more or less

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cut into chunks or use mozzarella pearls

1. Chicken Marinade: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons and reserve to marinate vegetables.
2. Add remaining marinade to a sealable plastic bag along with chicken. Marinate 2 to 8 hours.
3. Marinate Vegetable: Add tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, salt, pepper and reserved marinade to a sealable plastic bag. , Marinate 2 to 8 hours.
   
4. Cooking Chicken: When ready to cook, let chicken sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Drizzle a little oil in the bottom of a skillet and heat over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until nicely browned and caramelized on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5 to 7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken) until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
   
5. Roasting Vegetables: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle olive oil on roasting pans, add vegetables and marinade and spread out into a single layer.Roast for 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Pasta: Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente in generously salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water before you drain pasta. Add drained pasta to a very large mixing bowl or pot.
7. Assemble: Add roasted vegetables and all of the oil/juices/seasonings from the baking sheet to the pasta, along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Add reserved pasta water (a little at a time,) to reach desired consistency. Add desired amount of Parmesan and mozzarella pearls. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
   

Recipe without photos . . . Caprese Chicken Pasta  4 servings (I actually cut ingredients in half and made it just for 2)

4 chicken tenders

Olive oil for cooking chicken and roasting vegetables

 

Chicken Marinade

3tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar  

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard 

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons EACH: Italian seasoning garlic powder, onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt  

Pinch pepper 

 

Roasted Veggies

About 6 ounces of grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 small to medium zucchini, halved and chunked

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons reserved chicken marinade 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Pasta

1/2 pound linguine or thin spaghetti

1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped

1/8 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped + extra leaves for garnishing if desired

1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more or less

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cut into chunks or use mozzarella pearls

1. Chicken Marinade: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons and reserve to marinate vegetables.
2. Add remaining marinade to a sealable plastic bag along with chicken. Marinate 2 to 8 hours.
3. Marinate Vegetable: Add tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, salt, pepper and reserved marinade to a sealable plastic bag. , Marinate 2 to 8 hours.
4. Cooking Chicken: When ready to cook, let chicken sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Drizzle a little oil in the bottom of a skillet and heat over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until nicely browned and caramelized on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5 to 7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken) until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
5. Roasting Vegetables: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle olive oil on roasting pans, add vegetables and marinade and spread out into a single layer.Roast for 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Pasta: Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente in generously salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/4-1/2 cup pasta water before you drain pasta. Add drained pasta to a very large mixing bowl or pot.
7. Assemble: Add roasted vegetables and all of the oil/juices/seasonings from the baking sheet to the pasta, along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Add reserved pasta water (a little at a time,) to reach desired consistency. Add desired amount of Parmesan and mozzarella pearls. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

One-Pot Italian White Bean Pasta (Pasta Faggioli) using on-hand ingredients

Even though I’m home during COVID-19, there are times I still want a quick meal with a minimum of fuss, and easy clean up. Combine that with the fact that our menus are mostly based on our well-stocked pantry and freezer . . . One-Pot White Bean Pasta seemed like a sensible choice. 

Everything is simply added to the pot, INCLUDING the uncooked pasta, and cold broth!  Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer causing the starch to leach out of the pasta creating a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta. IT REALLY WORKS!

There are many other variations—try Cheeseburger Pasta starting with cooked ground beef and adding macaroni to the pot. What about Mexican Pasta, Pizza Pasta or Tuna-Noodle? The ideas are endless for these easy-to-adapt recipe! Other One-Pot Pasta recipes on our blog:

One-Pot Pasta with Tomatoes  

Sausage Pasta Pot 

By the way, Italian cuisine is more than oodles of pasta noodles. Beans have a long history and remain a staple in every province. .

One-Pot Italian White Bean Pasta (Pasta Faggioli) using on-hand ingredients

I cut down the original recipe (see One-Pot Pasta with Tomatoes) and it made 4 servings for us. Simply double it for a larger family size portion. Add two cans of beans or add cooked meat (such as chicken) in place of the second can of beans. 

6 oz. pasta – I used thin spaghetti

About 8 oz. diced tomatoes with liquid 

1/2 large yellow onion, cut in thin strips

Sliced mushrooms, about 4 oz.

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped or torn

2+ cups vegetable (or chicken) broth + 1/2 to 1 tsp. kosher salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans drained

Hand full of fresh spinach, optional 

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper for seasoning as needed

Parmesan cheese for garnish if desired

1. Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano leaves in a large pot. Pour in vegetable broth + salt and pepper. Add beans and spinach. Drizzle top with oil.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired. Also check pasta for tenderness and continue to cook until it meets your specifications.
   
3. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and stir pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot.
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe without photos . . .

One-Pot Italian White Bean Pasta (Pasta Faggioli) using on-hand ingredients

I cut down the original recipe (see One-Pot Pasta with Tomatoes) and it made 4 servings for us. Simply double it for a larger family size portion. Add two cans of beans or add cooked meat (such as chicken) in place of the second can of beans. 

6 oz. pasta – I used thin spaghetti

About 8 oz. diced tomatoes with liquid 

1/2 large yellow onion, cut in thin strips

Sliced mushrooms, about 4 oz.

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped or torn

2+ cups vegetable (or chicken) broth + 1/2 to 1 tsp. kosher salt & 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans drained

Hand full of fresh spinach, optional 

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper for seasoning as needed

Parmesan cheese for garnish if desired

1. Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano leaves in a large pot. Pour in vegetable broth + salt and pepper. Add beans and spinach. Drizzle top with oil.
2. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired. Also check pasta for tenderness and continue to cook until it meets your specifications.
3. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and stir pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot.
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Spaghetti Carbonara with ham

To this classic “bacon and egg” spaghetti dish, I added leftover Easter ham, It’s a quick-to-make that we made for supper, but it could even be served for breakfast using leftover pasta. 

                                                                                                                                       

Spaghetti Carbonara with ham  3 to 4 servings

12 oz. (about ¾ box) spaghetti (we used whole wheat)

About 1 tablespoon salt to season spaghetti

2 large eggs 

⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
Salt & pepper

2 slices of bacon, cut into chunks

½ cup diced ham

1 cup+ reserved pasta water

Olive oil

Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Place a large pot with water over high heat, and bring to a boil; add salt. Cook pasta to al dente stage. Be sure to save pasta water.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To a hot (medium-heat) large skillet or low Dutch oven, add the bacon, and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard; add the ham about half way through.
4. Add al dente pasta + 1 cup pasta water to the bacon and ham, adding more if pasta seems dry.
5. Turn heat to low, add beaten egg mixture to pasta and cook, tossing constantly with tongs until eggs are barely set. Drizzle with olive oil.
   
6. Serve with additional Parmesan and black pepper.

Besides this pasta dish, we've also used our leftover Easter ham to make  floured and fried ham steaks, ham and beans, 

Ham & Cheese Flatbread, Ham & Mashed Potato Pot Pie 

and Ham & Cheese Quiche.

Recipe without photo . . .

Spaghetti Carbonara with ham  3 to 4 servings

12 oz. (about ¾ box) spaghetti (we used whole wheat)

About 1 tablespoon salt to season spaghetti

2 large eggs 

⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
Salt & pepper

2 slices of bacon, cut into chunks

½ cup diced ham

1 cup+ reserved pasta water

Olive oil

Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Place a large pot with water over high heat, and bring to a boil; add salt. Cook pasta to al dente stage. Be sure to save pasta water.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To a hot (medium-heat) large skillet or low Dutch oven, add the bacon, and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard; add the ham about half way through.
4. Add al dente pasta  + 1 cup pasta water to the bacon and ham, adding more if pasta seems dry.
5. Turn heat to low, add beaten egg mixture to pasta and cook, tossing constantly with tongs  until eggs are barely set. Drizzle with olive oil.
6. Serve with additional Parmesan and black pepper.

Who Knew? Meatballs are the NBT! Spaghetti & Meatballs

   A while back I posted a Basic Meatball recipe. I like to make up a batch of these and use them in a variety of ways . . . including pulling out a few for somewhat traditional-style spaghetti and meatballs.

    Didn’t realize when I first posted the recipe that meatballs are the NBT (next big thing) in the food world. Almost immediately I had a note (on Linkedin) from Ronnie Fein concerning an article she had written for MediaNews-Hears. And, since then, I’ve noticed that meatballs have been featured in every cooking magazine that I’ve leafed through.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatballs (if using frozen meatballs, thaw them)

Olive oil

Marina Sauce (see recipe that follows) or use your favorite

Spaghetti, cooked according to package directions.

Parmesan cheese

1.  Meatballs — heat up some olive oil in a large heavy pot or skillet. When the oil’s hot, add a few of the meatballs; remove when they are brown on the outside (do not cook through as they will finish cooking in the sauce later; repeat until as many meatballs as needed are browned.

Brown a few of the meatballs at a time.

2.  Sauce — In the same pot or skillet, add prepared sauce. Or, if making from scratch, remove all meatballs and prepare the sauce in this pan.

3.  Adding Meatballs to Sauce — With the pot or skillet set on medium-high heat, add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 30 more minutes. Stir a couple of times as they heat.

4.  Serve meatballs over prepared spaghetti and top with Parmesan cheese.

Basic Marinara Sauce

¼ cup+ olive oil

1 medium to large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2  bay leaves

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

2.  Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.