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Category: Complete Meal

Marsala Mushroom Chicken Skillet

Marsala Mushroom Chicken Skillet

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with Broccoli and Peas

Yield: 2 Servings

Chicken & mushrooms with a creamy Marsala sauce mixed with broccoli and peas served with pasta.

Needed more sauce, so all of the sauce ingredients below are now doubled.

  • 6oz noodles
  • 6oz cremini mushrooms
  • 1shallot
  • 6oz broccoli florets
  • 12oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1TBS flour
  • 6oz dry Marsala wine
  • 8oz light cream
  • 2tsp chicken Better than Bouillon
  • 2oz peas
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper

Prepare the Ingredients:

Cut mushrooms into ¼-inch slices.

Peel and halve shallot. Slice thinly.

Cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces.

Pat chicken breasts dry and, on a separate cutting board, cut into 1″ dice. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Place diced chicken and flour in a mixing bowl and toss to coat.

Noodles:

Bring a gallon of water to a boil. Add 1 TBS salt, stir and add noodles. Cook as directed on box.

Sear the Chicken:

Place a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add chicken to hot pan and stir occasionally until seared on two sides, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Chicken will finish cooking in a later step. Keep pan over medium-high heat.

Cook the Vegetables

Add 2 tsp olive oil, mushrooms, and shallot to hot pan and stir occasionally until lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

Add Marsala and stir occasionally until mostly evaporated, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in cream, broccoli, 2 oz water, demi-glace, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper until combined.

Finish the Skillet

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, stir occasionally until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, 6-7 minutes.

Add peas and stir until warmed through, 1 minute.

Serve:

You can mix the pasta into the skillet and get it all coated or serve over the pasta. Divide between plates.

Shrimp Tempura Bowls

Shrimp Tempura Bowls

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with Sesame-Roasted Broccoli & Quick Pickles

Yield: 2 Servings

Crispy tempura shrimp drizzled with Sriracha-spiced sauce, sesame-flecked broccoli, and quick-pickled cucumbers on top of steamy rice.
Prep: 10 min, Cook: 45 min

  • 1mini cucumber
  • 2TBS mayonnaise
  • 1tsp garlic powder
  • 1TBS sesame seeds
  • 5tsp white wine vinegar
  • 2scallions
  • 1oz apricot jam
  • 1tsp sriracha
  • ½cup white rice
  • 8oz broccoli florets
  • 10oz shrimp
  • 6oz tempura batter mix
  • salt & pepper
  • ½tsp sugar
  • 1tsp cooking oil plus more for frying
  • 2TBS butter


Prep & Pickle cucumber:

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry produce.

Trim, peel, and halve cucumber lengthwise, thinly slice cucumber crosswise into half-moons. In a small bowl, combine sliced cucumber, 5 tsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set it aside.

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Make sauce & cook rice:

In a second small bowl, combine mayonnaise, jam, Sriracha, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp water, and a pinch of salt.

Melt 1 TBS butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites, cook, stirring, until softened, 1 minute.

Add rice, ¾ cup water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.

Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Roast broccoli:

While rice cooks, cut broccoli florets into 1-inch pieces if necessary. Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, half the sesame seeds (save the rest for serving), salt, and pepper.

Roast on top rack until golden-brown and crispy, 15-20 minutes.

Carefully toss with half the scallion greens.

Mix batter & coat shrimp:

Meanwhile, rinse shrimp under cold water, pat very dry with paper towels. Season with salt.

In a large bowl, combine tempura mix, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1⁄3 cup cold water, and ½ tsp salt.

Tip: If needed, add more water 1 TBS at a time until it reaches a pancake batter-like consistency.

Stir shrimp into batter until fully coated.

Cook shrimp:

Heat a ¼-inch layer of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat.

Once oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added to the pan, working in batches, add coated shrimp in a single layer. Cook until golden-brown and cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes on the first side and 1- to 2-minutes on the second side.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Immediately season with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Fluff rice with a fork, stir in 1 TBS butter and season with salt and pepper.

Divide rice between bowls. Top with shrimp, quick pickles (draining first), and broccoli. Drizzle shrimp with sauce, sprinkle with remaining scallion greens and remaining sesame seeds. Serve.

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi

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with Parsley & Parmesan

Yield: 2 Servings

Shrimp and scallops are sautéed until tender, then tossed with al dente spaghetti. Of course, it wouldn’t be a scampi without plenty of garlic and butter—here, garlic herb butter is the base for an easy, yet wow-worthy, sauce with Parmesan, parsley, and lemon juice. A dash of chili flakes for heat
Prep: 10 Cook: 30

  • 1lemon
  • 10oz shrimp
  • 6oz spaghetti
  • 5TBS parmesan cheese
  • 2cloves garlic
  • ¼oz parsley
  • 10oz scallops
  • 1tsp chili flakes
  • 4oz chicken stock
  • 2TBS garlic herb butter
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 3TBS butter

Prep:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Zest and quarter lemon. Peel and finely chop garlic. Finely chop parsley.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Place shrimp and scallops in a medium bowl, toss with lemon zest, ¼ of the garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of chili flakes (add more for an extra kick or leave it out if you’re feeling spice-averse!). Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook shrimp & scallops:

Heat a large pan over high heat. Once pan is hot, add shrimp and scallop mixture, spread out in an even layer and cook, stirring once, until opaque and cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes.

Stir in 1 TBS plain butter until melted and coated.

Turn off heat, transfer to a second medium bowl (along with any cooking liquid).

Start sauce:

Once spaghetti is done, melt 2 TBS plain butter in pan used for shrimp and scallops over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Stir in stock concentrates and ¼ cup pasta cooking water. Simmer until sauce has slightly reduced, 1- to 2-minutes.

Finish sauce:

Stir drained spaghetti, shrimp and scallops (and any cooking liquid), garlic herb butter, half the parsley, and half the Parmesan into pan with sauce. Toss to coat. Add splashes of reserved pasta cooking water as necessary, until everything is thoroughly coated in sauce.

Tip: If cheese clumps, continue stirring and adding more pasta cooking water until smooth!

Remove from heat and stir in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Divide pasta between bowls. Top with remaining parsley, remaining Parmesan, and chili flakes to taste. Add a big squeeze of lemon juice over top and serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Pork Sausage Cavatappi Bolognese

Pork Sausage Cavatappi Bolognese

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with Roasted Zucchini & Parmesan

Yield: 2

Classic meat sauce, upgraded with spice-flecked Italian sausage. Mixed with roasted or sautéed zucchini.
Prep: 5 Cook: 30

  • 1zucchini
  • 6oz cavatappi pasta
  • 1oz chicken stock concentrate
  • 1yellow onion
  • 1tbs Italian seasoning
  • 9oz Italian pork sausage
  • 1½oz tomato paste
  • 1½tbs sour cream
  • 3tbs parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper
  • 2tsp cooking oil
  • 1TBS butter

Prep:

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise, slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion.

Roast zucchini:

Toss zucchini on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, half the Italian Seasoning (you’ll use the rest later), and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until browned and tender, 14-16 minutes.

Optional: In a hot skillet, add a drizzle of oil, half the Italian Seasoning (you’ll use the rest later), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté zucchini until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes.

Tent with foil to keep warm.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook onion & sausage:

While pasta cooks, remove sausage from casing, discard casing.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5- to 6-minutes.

Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3- to 4-minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step).

Make sauce:

Add tomato paste and remaining Italian Seasoning to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in stock concentrate, 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cook until sauce has slightly thickened, and sausage is cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low.

Finish & serve:

Stir drained cavatappi, roasted zucchini, sour cream, and 1 TBS butter into pan until thoroughly combined.

Tip: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.

Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Italian Seasoning Blend

Makes: 1½ TBS

  • ½tsp garlic powder
  • ½tsp oregano
  • ½tsp basil
  • ½tsp black pepper
  • ½tsp parsley
Balsamic Tomato & Herb Chicken

Balsamic Tomato & Herb Chicken

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over Buttery Garlic Spaghetti

Yield: 2 Servings

Chicken cutlets coated in Italian herbs, seared for an eye-catching crust and roasting each with a blanket of mozzarella until the meat is tender and the cheese is melty. It’s all perched atop twirly garlicky spaghetti, then topped with a warm balsamic tomato mixture that’s laced with fresh parsley.

Prep: 5, Cook: 30

  • 1tomato
  • 10oz chicken cutlets
  • 6oz spaghetti
  • ¼oz parsley
  • 1clove garlic
  • 1TBS Italian seasoning
  • ½cup mozzarella cheese
  • 5tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1TBS cooking oil
  • ¼tsp sugar
  • 1tbs butter

Prep:

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Finely dice tomato. Pick parsley leaves from stems, finely chop leaves. Peel and mince garlic.

Cook chicken:

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season with 1½ tsp Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, 2- to 3-minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to a baking sheet. Top with half the mozzarella.

Roast on top rack until chicken is cooked through and cheese melts, 9-11 minutes.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain. Keep empty pot handy.

Make balsamic tomato:

While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for chicken over medium high heat. Add tomato and 1½ tsp Italian Seasoning. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 1- to 2-minutes.

Stir in balsamic vinegar and ¼ tsp sugar. Simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, 1 minute.

Note: The sugar balance out the acidity of the tomato mixture.

Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 TBS butter until melted. Stir in chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat.

Toss pasta:

Melt 2 TBS butter in pot used for pasta over low heat. Stir in garlic, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add drained spaghetti, 2 TBS reserved pasta cooking water, and 1 TBS butter. Toss to thoroughly combine.

Tip: For a saucier pasta, add more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time.

Season generously with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Slice chicken crosswise if desired.

Divide spaghetti between bowls and top with chicken. Spoon balsamic tomato over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and serve.

Pasta Seafood DiScottio

Pasta Seafood DiScottio

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Yield: 2 Servings (can be doubled)
Scott Nowell

Pasta Jay’s in Boulder serves a dish called Seafood DiStefano on their Friday night specials list. Shrimp, crab and scallops, served over linguine with white clam sauce.
This is my version, modified to be a one-pot dish. You can change the seafood items to include some fish, lobster, etc. Be sure to add them in the appropriate order to get them cooked through.
Also note that the ingredients have been adjusted to serve two. Double, triple, etc. as needed. This dish cooks very quick, so it is important to cook the pasta and any optional vegetables first.

21-Apr-20, 22-Aug-20, 30-Oct-24

Pasta:

  • 4-6oz linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti
  • 1medium head of broccoli or other green vegetable (optional)

Aromatics:

  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 1TBS butter
  • ¼cup minced or thinly sliced garlic
  • ¼cup red onion, chopped, minced or sliced
  • 2tsp flour
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Sauce:

  • ½cup white wine
  • ½cup pasta cooking water
  • 1generous tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon

Seafood/Finish:

  • 110 oz can of baby clams, NOT drained
  • 6peeled and deveined shrimp (16/20 or 21/25)
  • 6sea scallops
  • 6oz lump crab meat
  • ¼cup Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated
  • 1TBS fresh chopped parsley


Pasta: Add the pasta to one gallon of boiling salted water and cook to barely al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Remove pasta to oiled bowl and set aside. 

Optional Green Vegetable: If adding and a green vegetable like broccoli, cook it to al dente in the pasta water. Drain and remove to the bowl with the pasta. Return pasta pot to medium high heat.

Aromatics: In the pasta pan add 1 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter over med high heat until butter is melted. Add ¼ cup garlic and ¼ cup red onion and sauté for a minute. Sprinkle over about 2 tsp of flour. Stir to tighten. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Sauce: To the aromatics, add ½ cup white wine, reserved ½ cup of pasta cooking water, generous teaspoon of Chicken Better Than Bouillon and stir to dissolve Better Than Bouillon. Boil for a few minutes until reduced to about ¾ cup. Add the undrained can of baby clams, scallops, shrimp, crab and/or other seafood as desired. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes until the shrimp and scallops are almost cooked.

Finish: Return the cooked pasta and optional green vegetable to the pot. Stir to mix well and coat pasta with sauce. Add the Parmesan and stir. Mix in 1 TBS fresh chopped parsley. Check and adjust seasoning.

Plate, top with additional parsley and Parmesan and serve.