Chicken Pomodoro with Garlic Spaghetti

I am a sucker for a cream sauce.  That's why when this recipe arrived in my email from Cuisine at Home, I tried it within a week!

It was everything I hoped it would be.  Not too complicated, but delicious enough to make me think I was eating out in my own dining room!

The Garlic Spaghetti was also very good as a side dish.  Next time I might serve the chicken over the spaghetti instead, and put the cream sauce over the entire dish.  (The cream sauce is FANTASTIC!)  I have no clue what ricotta salata is, so I skipped it.  I think it probably adds quite a bit to the dish, so I'll scope out the specialty cheese section next time I grocery shop.

One lemon is perfect to make enough lemon juice for the sauce and lemon zest for the spaghetti.

Cuisine at Home is a great cooking magazine with no ads at all.  Some of the recipes are a bit exotic, but the step-by-step instructions are so thorough, they are usually very easy to follow.  And I've learned a lot about techniques, ingredients, and complicated recipes that turn out not to be so complicated after all!

Chicken Pomodoro

If you don't like to cook with alcohol or don't have it on hand, you can replace the vodka with an equal amount of chicken broth.

Makes: 4 servings; Total time: 30 minutes

2	boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved, pounded to ¼-inch thick (8 oz. each)
	Salt and black pepper
2	Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2	Tbsp. olive oil
1⁄4	cup vodka
1⁄2	cup low-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4	cup heavy cream
1	cup halved heirloom cherry tomatoes
2	Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1⁄4	cup minced scallions

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Coat a large sauté pan with nonstick spray. Add oil and heat over medium-high.

Sauté cutlets until brown, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a plate.

Off heat, deglaze pan with vodka and cook until liquid evaporates. Add broth and cream and reduce until thick, 2–3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Return cutlets to pan and cook to warm through, 1 minute per side.

Serve cutlets with sauce and garnish with scallions.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 301 cal; 16g total fat (5g sat); 93mg chol; 149mg sodium; 6g carb; 1g fiber; 25g protein

Garlic Spaghetti

Ricotta salata is a salty, mild-flavored cheese with a crumbly texture similar to feta.

Makes: 4 servings; Total time: 25 minutes

8	oz. dry spaghetti
2	Tbsp. olive oil
2	Tbsp. minced garlic
2	Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1	Tbsp. minced lemon zest
	Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
1⁄2	cup crumbled ricotta salata

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve ¹⁄₂ cup pasta water; drain remaining water.

Heat oil in same pot over medium-high. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in pasta water, parsley, zest, and spaghetti; toss to coat. Season spaghetti with salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes, then stir in ricotta salata.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 329 cal; 12g total fat (4g sat); 17mg chol; 211mg sodium; 43g carb; 1g fiber; 10g protein