Spiedie Chicken Penne
The Nitty Gritty:
An easy supper of marinated chicken, pasta and fresh vegetables.- Level: 1
- Prep Time: 45 minutes; up to 5 hours including marinade time
- Yields: 4-5 servings, with leftovers
- Tags: pasta chicken
If you ever find yourself in upstate New York, be sure to try the real deal – spiedies are unique to the Binghamton area. The cooking process involves marinating cubes of meat in a special marinade and grilling them on skewers over charcoal. They’re the best!
One thing to note: If you’re short on time, skip the marinade-making. One cup of Italian salad dressing is a great coating for the chicken.
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 whole lemon, (you'll just need the juice from it)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 Tbsp. fresh basil, cut into thin strips
- 2 whole tomatoes, vine or plum
Instructions:
*Wash chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cut into bite-size cubes.
*Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, then add the chicken cubes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. (Don’t worry if you don’t have that much time – the chicken will pick up great flavor even with 15 minutes in the fridge.)
*Lightly salt a large pot of water and drop in the peeled garlic cloves. Once the water boils, cook the penne according to package directions.
*While the penne is cooking, heat up a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and excess marinade when the pan is hot, cooking for about 5 minutes. You can tell if it’s done by cutting open a piece – the chicken should be white all the way through.
*When the penne is cooked, use tongs to remove the garlic cloves from the cooking water. Set the cloves aside on a cutting board.
*Drain the penne and return it to the (now empty) pot. Stir in butter, evenly coating the pasta.
*Dice the tomatoes and add them to the pot.
*Using a fork, mash the cooked garlic into a lovely mush and add it to the pasta as well, along with the cooked chicken pieces, the basil, and a couple of good shakes of freshly ground pepper. Mix gently and serve immediately.
Comments
To post a comment, you must be registered and logged in.
By Alison L. McConnell
Alison L. McConnell is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. A native of New Jersey and upstate New York, she attended Bowdoin College in Maine and the London School of Economics before settling in Washington, where she works as a financial reporter and pursues her zeal for cooking on the side. Some of her favorite things to make are risottos, roast chickens, and cakes. She abides by a long-standing family motto: McConnells always finish their desserts.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is a monthly online publication edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
The Humble Gourmand encourages users to comment on any and all of its features, but reserves the right to remove any material deemed inappropriate.
No one has posted any comments yet. Perhaps you'd like to be the first?