Sautéed Garlic Chicken with Lemon and Fresh Basil
01/29/2002

by Jan Carlton/Cookbook Author


Ingredients

1 to 1 ½ lbs. boneless chicken breasts, skin removed
1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ cup thinly sliced green onions (include some green tops)
1 to 2 Tablespoons hot extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice (preferable fresh squeezed)
1 to 1 ½ lbs. linguine or fettuccine (see note)
About 3 qts. boiling salted water (to which a few drops of olive oil
have been added)
About 1/3 to ½ c. finely snipped fresh basil leaves (stems removed)
1 to 2 t grated lemon peel
Salt and freshly ground black or white pepper to taste (optional)
About 1 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese or reduced-fat Parmesan or
Romano cheese
Sprigs of fresh basil and thin lemon slices for garnish



Directions:

In a medium, heavy skillet, sauté chicken pieces, garlic, and green
onions in 1 to 2 Tablespoons hot olive oil over moderate heat until
chicken pieces are lightly browned and fork tender; drain off oil and
stir in lemon juice. Remove from heat and set aside until linguine is
finished cooking.

While chicken is cooking, cook noodles in boiling salted water in a
large kettle or pot until noodles are tender, but firm (al dente). Do
not overcook. Drain well, but do not rinse. Add a few drops of
additional olive oil to hot pasta in kettle, tossing gently to mix, if
desired.

Return chicken to low heat, mix in basil and grated lemon peel. Season
with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot chicken mixture over hot
linguine. Garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh basil and one or
two thin lemon slices. Pass cheese separately to sprinkle over each
portion, if desired.

Note: Cook fresh handmade linguine or fettuccine in boiling salted
water for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes, or until boiling water returns to a
full rolling boil after adding noodles; cook packaged noodles
according to package directions.

Variation: Add about ½ c. julienne (very thin strips) sun-dried
tomatoes which have been soaked in 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil or
water for at least 1 hour, and then drained, to hot cooked pasta
mixture, if desired.