Pasta Prima Vera with Chicken

This is an outstanding dish in both flavor and texture. The key to success is in the preparation: be absolutely certain to have each item chopped and/or prepared before you begin so that it comes together all at the same time or very close to it. Arrange the ingredients in the order you will use them to ensure your workflow, much like you would see on a cooking show.

 Ingredients

7-8 chicken tenders

Sea salt, fresh ground pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons butter

1/2 pound asparagus spears

Olive oil

Sea Salt

Panko bread crumbs, about 1 cup

1.5-2 cups chopped onion

2-3 cups broccoli, cut into florets

1 cup carrots, sliced

1 cup fennel bulb, thinly sliced

4 medium cloves of garlic, minced

Chicken broth, approximately 1 cup

 2-3 tablespoons of butter

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps

Note: For larger quantities, or if you have no toaster oven, roast the asparagus in a regular oven at 400 degrees.

Place asparagus in a roasting pan in one layer, and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Roll them around to ensure they are evenly coated. Sprinkle the asparagus with sea salt and put them into the toaster oven on 400 degrees, for about 10 minutes —depending on the thickness of the stalks, the time may vary. Just be careful not to overcook because then they will be mushy.

When the asparagus are about halfway cooked, turn them over, and generously cover them with the panko breadcrumbs. Put it back into the oven or toaster oven until the crumbs are crisp and golden. Remove and set aside in a warm place. When the rest of the dish is plated, you will slide the asparagus/panko onto a cutting board and chop them up into bite-sized pieces and use it to top your pasta dish with the delicious, crunchy topping.

Place a larger pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil while you prepare the chicken and vegetables. If the water boils way before you’re ready to put the pasta in, just turn it down or off until you are ready.

Generously salt and pepper the chicken tenders on both sides. Put about 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan with about 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook the chicken on both sides until it’s lightly browned or golden then take the tenders out and put them aside, covered, to stay warm.

Get your pasta cooking while you simmer the pan of vegetables as follows.

Put the minced onion into the cooking pan which was used for the chicken and stir occasionally until it is soft. Then add the cut up broccoli, carrot, and fennel slices, letting them cook a minute or two before adding the minced garlic. After another two minutes, slosh some chicken broth over the vegetables and put a lid on the pan for only 3-4 minutes so they can cook through until crisp-tender.

Chop up the chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces and stir into the pan of vegetables. 

When the pasta is ready, scoop out a cup of the water and set it aside just in case you need it to add moisture to your dish before serving. Drain the pasta, not necessarily thoroughly, and place it in the pan of hot vegetables/chicken with 2-3 tablespoons of butter to melt in. Stir it all together with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and serve topped with the chopped up asparagus and crunchy panko breadcrumbs.