Here is another dish that I made up on my own which is simple enough to make during the work week. Fresh zucchini is available all year but local zucchini can be found later in the summer in northern regions.
The quantities in this recipe are flexible depending on the size of the zucchini and how much spaghetti you like in a serving. For me, the recipe below makes two generous servings.
The cooking time for this dish is fairly quick and prep may be done while the water for the spaghetti is being heated. Part of the timing of this dish is dependent on how long the spaghetti takes to cook and how tender you like your pasta.
Oregano Chicken and Zucchini Tossed with Spaghetti – 1 Knife
Ingredients:
- 5 ounces dry spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or linguine
- 2 small or one large zucchini sliced into ¼ – 3/8 inch circles or semicircles (for a large piece)
- 1 pound (or less) boneless skinless chicken breast roughly cut into ½” dice
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- Dried oregano (plenty – 2+ tablespoons?)
- Olive oil
- Grated Parmesan cheese to taste (I like a lot on this dish)
Cook:
- Set a pot of water on the stove to come to a boil.
- In the mean time, rinse and dry zucchini and trim off the ends. Slice up and set aside (use a plate or bowl to hold zucchini now and the cooked zucchini later).
- Dice up the chicken breast and season with salt.
- Peel two cloves of garlic. (mince if not using a garlic press)
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.
- Press one garlic clove into pan and mix around with the oil.
- Toss zucchini into the oil so all pieces are coated then try to arrange in a single layer.
- Sprinkle zucchini with a generous amount of oregano. (see photo)
- Put pasta in the water. Set timer.
- After a 2-3 minutes turn zucchini over.
- After 2 more minutes remove zucchini from the pan.
- Put another tablespoon of oil into the pan.
- Press in the 2nd garlic clove into the pan.
- Add chicken to the pan and mix around so pieces are evenly spread.
- Sprinkle chicken with a generous amount of oregano.
- After a couple of minutes stir around the chicken. Continue to let chicken cook and occasionally stir the chicken around until it begins to caramelize. Stir in the zucchini; lower heat to low. At this point, the pasta should have two minutes or less remaining. (Raise heat on chicken if you need to speed the caramelization up.)
- Drain the pasta. Pour a little olive oil into the pasta and mix it around.
- Add to frying pan and toss everything together. Turn off heat.
- Serve
- Top with a generous amount of grated parmesan.
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