Day 4: Mediterranean Chicken Pasta with Artichokes
Recipe Type: 12 Days of Recipes (and Gift Ideas)
Serves: 9-inch square cake
*The most succulent, edible part of an artichoke is buried deep inside a whole fresh artichoke - the artichoke heart. The Cucina & Amore's fresh, hand-selected artichoke hearts are trimmed, cleaned, marinated and brined to perfection in a jar, that you should really have on hand in your pantry at all times. They are great added to so many recipes but work deliciously well with other flavors of the Mediterranean like olives, feta, lemon & oregano. Try them on a pizza, mixed into a dip, on an antipasto platter or chopped & added to a salad.
Ingredients
- For the chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp chopped, fresh oregano
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- For the vinaigrette:
- Juice of 2 lemons (about ¼ cup)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- For the pasta:
- 1 pound Orzo
- 1 jar Cucina Amore marinated grilled artichoke hearts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ cups pitted olives
- 8 ounces Macedonian feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tsp chopped, fresh oregano
- Handful of chopped, fresh parsley
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix the remaining ingredients together to form a paste, and rub it over both chicken breasts. Roast chicken for about 25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and allow to cool slightly and shred it into bite-sized chunks.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Mix the lemon juice with the salt and pepper, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water. While it's cooking, combine the artichoke hearts, olives, and shredded chicken (plus any juices and spices on the cutting board) in a large bowl. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the bowl. Pour over the vinaigrette, then add the feta cheese. Mix everything together, then sprinkle in the extra oregano and parsley, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
3.5.3226
