Chicken, Pesto, Pasta, Don’t Ya Know

Chicken, Pesto, Pasta, Don’t Ya Know

Sometimes the Italian hidden in all of us springs forth.  Last night, the floating lyrics to Arrivederci Roma and accompanying accordion set me off. 

Ah, the splendor of it!  Dreams of hillside olive groves, the unrepressed aroma of espresso, and condensed trickles of water on bottles of white wine at outdoor cafés.  In narrow streets, smells of pizza and fish markets waiving past.  The smooth, but staccato bursts of lyrical language, carried along by waving hands, and unsubtle remarks about gorgeous women flowing past. White and red table cloths, cloth napkins, polite and competent waiters with movie star looks, the purr of Vespas, and most of all, dishes whose deliciousness defies description.

So, can’t ya git some good spaghetti right here in the ole U.S. of A.?  Oh, my word, you charming, but pitifully mistaken man.  Maybe there are some good Italian restaurants here, but I have yet to find one to compare with the real thing.

And, so, regretfully, I must live on memories and pursue my own meager culinary talents.

But, there are some associated pleasantries I can employ.  Things to set the tone. Italian white wine is a good first step.  Flowery Italian music is next. A woman gently stroking my hair as she sips her wine and whispers “Baciami molto…”  This of course is the dream sequence in my already complicated dream. But, after all, it IS MY dream.

How about the food, my three, constantly hungry, faithful readers ask?  They sound as impatient as snapping alligators. 

First, I must mention, I read about a chicken salad that used most of the ingredients in my pasta dish.  But, not being able to leave well enough alone, I dropped the mayo and converted the recipe to a pasta dish.

So, here we go, on our way to delicious egg noodles (because that’s what was in my pantry), with bits of roasted chicken, home made pesto, and chopped, oil marinated, sun dried tomatoes, half an onion, half a lemon.  That’s it?  Yep. Toss some grated Italian cheese on top, if you prefer.

The Ingredients:

3 cups of roasted chicken, boned, skin removed, and shredded

1 cup of pesto (recipe below, or use a jar from the supermarket)

1 cup of oil marinated, sun dried tomatoes, well chopped. (Careful not to use too much of the oil!)

½ sweet onion, diced

1 package of egg noodles, or the pasta of your choice

juice of half a lemon

Putin’ It Together

Boil the noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, add the diced onion and a little olive oil to a deep frying pan.  When the onions are soft, toss in the sun dried tomatoes, pesto, and roasted chicken.  Stir well and heat through.  Squeeze half a fresh lemon over the mixture.

Drain the noodles, but save a little bit of the noodle water.  Toss the chicken mixture over the noodles and stir well.  Add a bit of noodle water to make the mixture combine.

Serve with a wedge of fresh lemon.  Hello Italy!  Goodbye hunger!

This is a meal meant to be shared around a big, noisy table, with plenty of wine!  Saluti!

Here’s the Pesto Recipe I Promised:

In a food processor, combine 2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves, ½ cup each of grated cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil.  – No fresh basil?  Use spinach.  No pine nuts?  Use any nuts you have handy.  I’ve used walnuts and roasted pumpkin seeds and both were delicious.  Taste and add a bit of salt if you choose.