Chicken with Pasta and Chard

When I moved out into my own apartment, I bought a few cookbooks and tried to make dinner for myself as often as I could. But, I was working full time with a fairly long commute so it was slow going. One day I got to tag along on a reward/outing with one of the teams at work – we took a cooking class at Home Chef, a kitchen store. It was fun, and delicious, and we each got a handout with the recipes we’d learned about and a Home Chef apron. I didn’t use the recipes, or the apron much, until we moved here to Eugene and I began cooking dinner most nights of the week. The chicken dish from Home Chef has become one of our favorites and I’ve honed the recipe and adapted it and made it my own.

Lemon/Garlic Chicken with Pasta Primavera (serves 2-3)

2 T olive oil
1 T butter
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
All-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 medium lemon

1/2 lb pasta (spiral, bow-tie, or other shape…)
2 cups vegetables of your choice
Salt and pepper

Pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper until they are of uniform thickness (about 1/2″). Cut them into halves or thirds and dredge them in flour.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Stir in the garlic and then add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Saute until they are cooked through and lightly browned, flipping once. Remove to a plate, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and keep warm. Carefully pour off remaining oil, reserving for use with the pasta.

Grate the lemon zest and set it aside. Juice the lemon, and add the juice and the wine to the skillet. Raise the heat and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the butter and lemon zest and pour over the chicken.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to package directions. Lightly steam or saute the vegetables (for broccoli and carrots, I place them in a colander directly over the boiling pasta. For greens, I saute them with extra garlic before starting the chicken.) When the pasta is done, drain off the water and return to the pot, toss in the vegetables, and drizzle with the reserved cooking oil plus additional oil to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the chicken.