Ask and Ye Shall Receive…
I have to say, no exaggeration, this might just be the best thing I’ve ever made. Ok, except that time I made steak sandwiches on homemade everything bagels, because c’mon, fresh bread, but it’s a darn close second. The thing is, it really isn’t anything I did that made it taste so good. What made it next level was the farmstand fresh ingredients. If you follow me on Instagram than you know about my big haul from the Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market this past Sunday…
However one thing I didn’t post which I bought was some homemade pasta. OH MY. That was something.
Now listen, is it realistic that we are going to be able to dash off to the farm fresh stand & fill up our chic reusable tote with a plethora of in season cuisine? Um, that’s a big NO. Although when we can, it’s become a nice little tradition for our family to go on the weekends together. The girls get little bouquets of fresh cut flowers & watermelon ice pops, and it gets us all out and in the city. But enough of that, you didn’t click on this post for the mushy stuff, you want the dish on the, well, dish!
This recipe is pretty darn easy, it went from unbagged to on the table in 30 minutes. Might have been able to shave off another 5 if I didn’t also make the little man some fresh baby food while I was at it.
You can totally change this recipe around for whatever veggies you can find at the time. I was thinking that some squashes or maybe root veggies with fresh thyme would be tasty too. Mmm… I really need to stop writing recipe posts when I haven’t eaten yet.
Preheat oven to 450
Prep the vegetables by slicing them in thin layers so that when they roast you’ll get all the browned yummy bits on the edges. For mine I used leeks, crimini mushrooms, mini eggplants (peeled and cut into small slices), tomatoes (quartered & placed skin side down), swiss chard & whole peeled garlic cloves. If you’ve never had garlic fresh plucked from the ground then you’re missing out my friend. I’m gonna have a tough time going back to the dusty grocery store ones. I also used lemon, butter, parmesan, tagliatelle pasta & fresh oregano leaves. Oh, and I added sliced up chicken breasts since the mister is trying to only eat veggies & protein for dinner. He totally ended up not being able to say no to that fresh pasta!
On a baking sheet spread out the veggies, drizzle with EVOO, and season well with salt & pepper. Toss lightly with your hands to combine. Put in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. During that time you can prep the chicken breasts with whatever herbs you like. I used salt, pepper and these Herbs de Provence. (That’s a fancy way of saying a bunch of italian herbs all in one bottle.) Season it pretty well, it’ll need to pack some punch since the pasta is mostly sauceless. You can also get a pot of salt & water boiling. (if you add about a tbs of salt to water it helps it boil faster & it’s a way to season the noodles!)
Timer should be going off about now. Use a spatula to gently flip all the veggies, except the tomatoes, & put back in the oven for another 10 minutes. During those last 10 minutes you’re going to be busy. Mommy has to focus! First, start boiling your pasta (follow package instructions for cook time) & cooking your chicken in your go to skillet with some EVOO, over medium hi heat, for 3-4 minutes per side. Before you strain your pasta save about a cup of the pasta water. Set aside. Go ahead and set the chicken aside too so it can rest. Turn the skillet down to low & deglaze the pan by adding a 2-3 pats of butter, the juice of 1 lemon & just enough pasta water so you can scrape up all the yummy bits and still have a bit of a sauce. If you’re adding greens now is the time to add them to the skillet so they can quickly wilt. Next add in all your yummy roasted veggies to the skillet and gently toss. In a bowl serve the pasta, a large helping of the saucy veggies, sliced chicken on top, sprinkle of chopped fresh oregano leaves & a healthy dose of parmesan cheese for the savory cherry on top!
*TIP* if you didn’t have quite enough “sauce” for your noodles a drizzle of a good EVOO will totally do the trick
Please let me know if you end up making this, I’d love the feedback! Have a great dinner!
Have you made your own pasta yet? It’s super easy and so good. Just egg and the right flour. I’ll check our pantry tonight to let you know which one we use. We’ve even made our own ravioli too.
Oh man, that is SOOOO something I’ve been dying to do!! Fresh pasta could solve all the world’s problems imo!
Herbes de Provence is of French origination, no?