Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

WOW, I had totally forgotten about this meal :) If I remember correctly, I made it the night before the TSUNAMI of 2010 :) We had some friends over for dinner, so I was trying to make something that all four kids would eat, but that WASN'T macaroni and cheese, or chicken nuggets, or hot dogs. You get the picture. Anyway, I settled on this little recipe out of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2 (hint: it did NOT take 30 mins!...although there was wine and plenty of conversation involved, so that could have contributed to the time lapse...)
I thought this was really great and easy. The ingredients are items that I usually have on hand also, so that will make it a go-to recipe for me! In the photo, there are no capers in the pasta...as I added them separately at the table in case anyone didn't care for them. I used to HATE capers, but love them, now. They added a great salty contrast to the tart lemon taste of the Piccata. I used whole grain pasta and skipped the chopped chive garnish.  I'm excited to try this once Kevin's home, he loves lemon and capers :).


Chicken Picatta Pasta Toss
makes 4 servings

1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked al dente to package directions
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 & 1/4 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper, and brown until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and set it in your serving dish while you complete the sauce.  Return the skillet to the heat, reduced to medium.  To the skillet, add another tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and the shallots and saute, 3 minutes.  Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes.  Whisk in wine and reduce liquid, 1 minute.  Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce.  Stir in capers and parsley.  When sauce comes to a bubble, add remaining tablespoon butter to give it a little shine.  Put chicken back in teh pan and heat through a minute or two.  Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Top with fresh snipped chives and serve.

Meatball and Macaroni Soup & Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches

first time making this duo out of Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals 2.  a major hit for all!  the kids loved it and so did me and mom.  i will definitely keep this in my regular rotation to make again.

Meatball and Macaroni Soup

makes 4 big servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 bay leaves, fresh or dried

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound ground beef, pork, and veal combined (i used 1/2 lb pork and 1/2 lb beef)

1 egg beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups dried pasta (ditalini or macaroni or broken fettuccini)

1 pound fresh spinach, coarsley chopped

In a deep pot over medium heat, add oil, chopped carrots, celery, onions and bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover pot and cook veggies, 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the veggies cook, combine ground meats, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Add broth and water to the pot of veggies. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot.  When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir.  Cover and simmer soup, 10 minutes.  When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches.  When spinach has wilted, the soup is done and ready to serve.  Adjust your seasonings, and serve with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.

Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches

makes 4 sandwiches

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, cracked away from the skin

8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread

1 cup shredded provolone cheese (i used sliced provolone)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese (i did not use this)

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, combine oil, butter, and garlic, and cook gently for 2 or 3 minutes, then remove from heat.

Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.  Using a pastry brush, brush one side of 4 slices of bread with garlic and butter oil and place buttered side down in skillet.  Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices.  Top each sandwich with another slice of bread, and brush top with garlic butter.  Flip the sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden.  Cut sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.