Cheesy Chicken Bucatini

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, right now it would be this cheesy chicken buccatini. If you've never had buccatini (or perciatelli), let me warn you upfront that you can't slurp it like regular spaghetti because it is a hollow tube. So, if you're not a good twirler, save this meal for weeknight eating. That said, you will want to put this in your rotation as soon as possible, it's that good.

Serves 4
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 lb bucatini or perciatelli
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
3 tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup reserved pasta water

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.

Heat 1 tbs oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tbs oil and garlic together in the same skillet, stirring often, until the garlic is softened, but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice and cook, stirring up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken and juices from the plate and stir to reheat the chicken, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Drain the bucatini in a colander. Return to the skillet and add the cheese and herbs, plus 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss. Add the butter and toss again. Serve with additional cheese on the side.

(adapted from Fabulicious by Teresa Giudice)
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TASTE NOTES
I've already said that I could eat this dish every day, if necessary. My addition of the pasta water makes the sauce creamier and seemingly decadent when, in fact, the fat content is very healthy. You could certainly substitute your favorite cheese; for example, I think Asiago would be equally delicious. I did cut the recipe in half for the two of us and still had leftovers. Next time I'm going to try it with farfalle and maybe another time I'll substitute shrimp for the chicken. This is a delicious and simple dish; try it!

PESTO PASTA SALAD

Sadly, my basill is finished for the season. If I had been better about watering it during this drought, it would have lasted longer. I still have a few cubes of pesto that I've frozen, but I'll be needing to buy some basil to make enough to keep us going during the fall, winter, and spring. It's so convenient to dip into the bag of frozen pesto cubes and toss one into a pot of sauce or over some cooked chicken. It defrosts quickly and can be used as a panini spread or a pizza topping. My recipe is simple (see sidebar) and if you have a bumper crop of basil, make some and freeze in ice cube trays as I've explained. Don't believe those recipe that tell you you can substitute parsley or spinach and used dried basil. They taste terrible!

Last night was a burger, corn on the cob night, so I quickly threw together a pesto pasta salad.

1 lb. mini fusilli (DeCecco makes 3 varieties of mini pasta, great for cold salads)
3 cubes of frozen pesto
olive oil
grated cheese
toasted pine nuts (about 1/3 cup)

Cook the pasta according to taste. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking and drain well. Toss in pesto cubes, drizzle liberally with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Toss well. Add pine nuts and mix. Best served room temperature. Leftovers can be resurrected with the addition of more olive oil.

In my profile I mention that Larry and I live in a log home with our 2 cats. Molly is almost 5 years old. She's pleasingly plump, though the vet says she's fine at 16 pounds. She really doesn't overeat since I measure out their dry food twice a day. She's big-boned! Pittypat is just 1. She's more slender, like Blueberry (sadly, our 19 year old cat had to be euthanized last year). Molly and Pitty are inseparable though from their daily and nightly wrestling matches, you'd think they were bitter enemies. Molly is always looking to play, even though she's older, but Pitty is just too fast. We should have named her Road Runner. Her best tricks include playing leap frog--hey, why go around Molly when you can leap over her--and racing around the hardwood floors and coming to a screeching halt--witness the teeny little clawmarks all over our living room and dining room.

One of the beauties of living in a log home in the woods is the constant feeling that I'm on vacation. This early morning light is the scene I view through our living room window every day. We've only covered our bathrooms and bedroom with window coverings so we can take advantage of the daily show. Right now 3 fawns and 2 does eat at our salad bar each day (A.K.A. our landscaping). They are joined by a dozen and a half wild turkey who love to roll and scratch in the leaves and on our lawn (Larry is not as happy about this; he's constantly raking the leaves off our long driveway and we now have to plant a raised bed around the trees since they've rubbed off all the grass). Last year we had 3 red fox living in a hollowed out stump in the ravine to the side of our living room. Our hawks have just build a third nest, this one right in front of the house in an old oak tree.

So, when I'm not cooking or baking or quilting or reading or playing Scrabble online, I love to sit and watch the show outside my window. I'm waxing eloquent today because it's the First
Day of school and I'm here instead of in front of the school welcoming the children back from summer vacation. Yes, I do miss seeing the fresh faces of the kindergartners and the mommies and daddies busy snapping pictures. I miss the excitement of a new school year and catching up with my staff--who's pregnant (ouch! another sub needed), who's bought a new house, who is having husband/wife/children issues at home. But, when all is said and done, it's awfully nice to recite the Pledge alone in my living room and sip my second cup of coffee.

ORECHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

The first time I encountered orechiette, I fell in love. I love the shape, the texture, and the way that sauce gets tucked inside this little ear-shaped pasta. In case you're wondering, it's pronounced OAR-WRECK-EE-ET-AY and, trust me, this dish is easier to make than it is to pronounce. Since Wednesday is weigh-in day, it's the day of the week to make pasta, if you follow Weight Watchers' logic. While there are certain better brands of pasta (e.g. DeCecco) that make orechiette, I usually go to an Italian specialty store to buy an imported brand. The pasta seems firmer and tastier. This recipe is something I throw together--and change ever-so-slightly--each time. In the winter, I like to make orechiette with cannellini beans and sage, but this rendition is my favorite. I'll try to pin down the recipe so you can see for yourself.

1 lb. orechiette
1/2 lb. Italian sausage patties, sweet or hot (or squeeze sausage out of 4 links)
1 head of broccoli rabe (AKA rapini)
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/4 cup dry vermouth
olive oil
freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Soak the broccoli rabe in a large pot of water for 10 minutes; drain, then rough-chop. As broccoli rabe soaks, heat a skillet with 1-2 tsp olive oil and cook the sausage, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon. When sausage begins to lose its pinkness, add the sliced garlic, being careful not to burn it, or it will be bitter. When sausage is cooked, add vermouth and boil until liquid evaporates. Set pan off to the side of the burner.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add broccoli rabe and cook about 5 minutes. Scoop out and rinse under cold water; drain, and add to sausage mixture. Bring the same water to a boil again and cook the pasta in it. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the water.

Add the pasta and reserved water to the sausage and broccoli rabe. Mix well. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with good Pecorino Romano cheese.

I dare you to eat one bowl of this! Leftovers are great; you might need to loosen pasta with olive oil and/or chicken broth.