Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables
November 6th, 2014
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Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
Last night I roasted a whole chicken. The basic procedure for roasting a chicken is posted here, but I modified it a bit based on what I had on hand. I found myself without any fresh herbs (gasp!) and no carrots, so I used a combination of dried herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, along with some fennel seeds. I let them sit in olive oil for a bit, while I prepared the chicken.
There was lots of leftover chicken. Tonight I used most that to make a pasta dish.For the recipe below, you will want to adjust the quantity of the ingredients based on what you have and how much meat vs. pasta vs. vegetables you want.
Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables
Chicken Mushroom Pasta
Your favorite pasta
Leftover roasted chicken
Fresh garlic, minced
Mushrooms
Cooking greens, cleaned and well drained (spinach, arugula, chard…)
Peas
Pine nuts
Avocado and/or olive oil
- Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Follow the directions on whatever pasta you’re using. Remember that if you’re using fresh pasta that it cooks very quickly, so you’ll want to do this last, not first. You’ll want to start cooking the pasta as soon as the water is boiling; it will be cooking while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Rinse the mushrooms and set aside to drain. Tonight I used a combination of Chantrelle, Shiitake, and Crimini mushrooms.
- Cut or shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks.
- If you’re using frozen peas, remove from the freezer and rinse with cool water. Set aside in a colander to drain.
- Lightly toast the pine nuts and set aside. You can do this in a heavy bottomed skillet on the stove or in the oven. Just watch them very carefully – they can turn from not quite perfect to scorched in an instant. If you’re not sure, click here for more detailed instructions.
- In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat some of the oil. Place the garlic in the oil and cook until it just starts to color. Add the mushrooms and saute on medium-high heat. When they’re cooked to your liking, remove from the heat and set aside in a covered bowl. Return the pan to the heat.
- If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and then add the chicken. Saute over medium-high heat until it browns a little. Remove from heat and add to the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the peas, then cover to keep warm.
- If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Add the greens and cover. They’ll cook quickly, so keep an eye on them. When the greens have wilted, return the chicken and mushroom mixture, toss to combine well, cover and allow to heat through. Tonight a used a combination of spinach and arugula, but really any cooking greens you like will be wonderful in this.
- The pasta should be cooked by now. Drain and return to the cooking pan. Add the chicken and mushroom mixture and gently toss to combine well.
- Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, red chile flakes.
Keep in mind that this makes for great leftovers, so feel free to make a big batch.
I think it was a hit ... don't you?
This pasta dish makes an excellent dinner for the night before a big ride, or a recovery dinner after a big ride. It’s also easy to make and comforting after a long day’s work. Protein, carbs, vegetables, healthy oils, and it tastes great!
It paired quite nicely with a Pinot Noir, or would also go well with a Chardonnay.
Enjoy in good health!
