Summery Linguine

It’s official.  My Winter “depression” has officially set in (despite the fact that it’s gorgeous and 55°F today).  I’m done with being stuck indoors while 7 1/2 months pregnant with an Energizer Bunny-like toddler.  So, I made a very summery dinner this week that really put me in the mood for warm weather and a glass of a cold, crisp white wine.  April can’t get here soon enough!  Make this for dinner and I’m sure it will put you in a good mood, too.

INGREDIENTS

THE STAPLES

• 1 lb. thin linguine, cooked al dente
• 1 lb. thin cut chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch chunks (you could totally also substitute shrimp for the chicken)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup powdered Parmesan (you could also use Pecorino Romano or a combination of the two)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, for topping

THE MARINADE

• 2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• You don’t have to use fresh herbs, but it helps make the dish seem even more Summery – if using dried herbs, halve the amount
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• An additional 2 tbsp olive oil to saute the chicken with later
• 1/3 cup white wine (a good one you’d drink)

THE SAUCE

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

HOW TO MAKE IT

• First thing you need to do is marinate the chicken – toss all of the ingredients into a bowl with the chopped, raw chicken and let it sit for at least an hour up to overnight
• Saute the marinated chicken with the 2 tbsp olive oil and white wine until it’s cooked – about 5 minutes, set aside
• Now, it’s time to make the sauce.  Heat up a large saute pan over medium heat and then add the butter and olive oil
• Saute the garlic until it’s fragrant, be careful not to burn it
• Add in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring frequently
• Add the chicken stock and simmer until it has thickened and then add in the chopped fresh basil
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add the sauteed chicken and all of those juices into the sauce – keep it simmering for a few more minutes so the flavors can all combine
• At this point, I’d make the pasta so the sauce can sit over low heat and the flavors can meld while it boils – I’d also add in the tomatoes now (I cut small slits into the surface of the tomatoes to release some juice and to avoid exploding tomatoes later on)
• Once the pasta is finished, strain and add it into the saute pan with the chicken, tomatoes and sauce – cook the two together for a few minutes over low heat so the pasta can absorb some of the sauce
• Add in the powdered Parmesan and fresh parsley and toss to combine – enjoy!*Recipe adapted from Goddess of Scrumptiousness