Sunday, June 14, 2009

Lemon Pepper Linguine with Chicken

Adapted from: All Recipes

This was another meal I picked solely on how easy it looked, and I was surprised by how tasty it was! My sauces tend to be in the tomato family, so it was nice to have something a little different. Because of the light lemony flavor of the sauce, this dish really reminds me of summer. The only thing missing was some fresh grated Parmesan!

I also did something in the last few recipes which has improved the flavor and tenderness of the chicken each time. I browned the chicken in the skillet, and then removed to a 200 degree oven while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. Doing this, or in the very least letting the chicken rest for 3-4 minutes before slicing or serving, allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making for a tasty, juicer chicken.

Lemon Pepper Linguine with Chicken

8 ounces linguine pasta
2 thin-cut chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

1. Heat oven to 200 degress.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add linguine, and cook until al dente. Drain.

3. While the linguine is cooking, sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned, about 5 minutes each side. Remove to a plate and place in preheated oven while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

4. Add garlic to skillet and cook for 1 minutes. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, zest, pepper, and salt. Scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.

5. Add butter and herbs into saucepan. Mix and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and slice into bite-sized pieces. Add to sauce and mix well. Divide linguine on plates and top with chicken mixture and serve.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This recipe was DELICIOUS! The only gripe I had was the the sauce did not thicken much. I followed directions for the wine and chicken broth but I'm thinking I may have used a little too much lemon juice, since I squeezed a fresh lemon. Will definitely try again!