Help me take this dish to the next level (pasta with broc, basil & chicken)

[David M. Bueker]

So tonight I broke out qdish I had not made in a while. It involves making a "sauce" of broccoli, garlic, chicken, basil and some chicken broth (plus requisite salt & pepper) & tossing in some pasta, then mixing to coat. A little P-R cheese & you're good to go with the Grüner Veltliner of your choice. The thing is that the flavor is very linear/one-dimensional. I want to give it some depth and breadth.

I have 4 thoughts:

1. Cracked red pepper flakes to add some kick
2. Chopped (coarsely) sundried tomato
3. Mushrooms
4. Any combination of 1, 2 and/or 3.

Thoughts?

I'm thinking:

with younger Gruner - some lime juice, cilantro and ginger, perhaps a touch of fish sauce or pureed anchovy, but no cheese;

with an older, complex Gruner from a top vineyard - morel mushrooms and some cream.

A touch of pesto, the sun dried tomatoes, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

[David M. Bueker]

Pesto! And I have some home-made in my freezer!

The morel shrooms and cream sound good too.

I make something like this all the time, though my preference is to use rapini instead of brocoli.

The basic additions to your ingredients are toasted pine nuts, white wine, optional red pepper flakes, and either ricotta salata or grana padano, though P-R is a good third choice.

Here's my method:
First,
Saute garlic in EVOO, add red pepper flakes and then add chicken strips and ground black pepper. Cook and turn until mostly done. Add white wine and reduce, then add rich chicken broth and reduce a little. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add blanched green vegetable of your choice. Stir around to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning with S&P.

Add the drained pasta to the chicken mixture, drizzle generously with best quality EVOO and add some pasta liquid to keep the dish loose. After 1 minute, plate the pasta, shave the cheese over it and garnish with toasted pignoli. The pignoli add exactly that extra dimension you're looking for.

[David M. Bueker]

The pine nuts sound good. I've neither heard of nor seen rapini.

a little bit of lemon zest

I've neither heard of nor seen rapini.

David, around here rapini is usually sold as broccoli rabe

[David M. Bueker]

Now that I have seen.

Definitely some red pepper flakes and mushrooms.

Then think of any of these possibilities:

blue cheese
olives
capers

And CM has it right. A drop or two of good fish sauce will add some complexity w/o tasting fishy. A dollop of butter also adds something to a lot of dishes.

I would play with various green herbs, specifically. thyme, sage, marjoram, and lavender. I think rosemary would be too strong. I would only use one of the above in the recipe. Think subtle.

David, like Bernard, I make a dish like this all the time. I copied it from our favorite little Italian dive in Massachusetts. We made our version for some close friends and they requested the recipe, so I actually took the time to type it out (very detailed--they are not cooks) for them. Here it is for you if you're interested...

“ASSISI’S” CHICKEN PASTA – From: Carrie
1 lb penne pasta
2 “double” boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped fresh tomato (skins and seeds removed)
1 head fresh broccoli, separated into small florets
1 can “low sodium” chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine (I always use Chardonnay since that I drink with it)
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (use more or less according to taste)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesano-reggianno, optional (I usually pass some of this at the table. We like it without.)

Pound the chicken breasts slightly with a heavy pot or mallet so they are uniform in thickness. Trim cartilage and fat, then rub with about 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil, about a tablespoon of garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sautee on medium heat in a large pan for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside, covered with foil. Add wine and broth to the hot pan to deglaze. Add remaining garlic and pepper flakes. Let liquid reduce to about half.
In the meantime, cook pasta (with a good amount of salt added to the water) according to package directions for al dente. Halfway through cooking time, add broccoli florets to pasta water. Drain both in a colander when pasta is done.
Slice the chicken against the grain on the bias, and add it, the pasta, and rest of ingredients to the broth over medium burner, until pasta soaks up a good deal of the liquid. (If the chicken had been a little pink inside when slicing it, add to the hot broth mixture first to finish cooking the middle for a few minutes.)
Important: TASTE! Check seasonings. Chances are you will need to add some more salt after tossing everything together.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks Carrie - sounds remarkably similar to what I do, less the red pepper.

I've neither heard of nor seen rapini.

David, around here rapini is usually sold as broccoli rabe

Indeed! I guess I just assumed that the Italian name for this type of mustard green would be commonly known.

A. White wine as part of the broth (half or thereabouts).
B. More basil.
C. More garlic.
D. Cilantro or cumin.