Lemon Herb Chicken With Zucchini Pasta And Ricotta Recipes

SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season it generously with salt. Add the sliced lemons and blanch for 30 seconds. Using tongs, remove the lemons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Dry well.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add the shallots and garlic to the skillet and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until fragrant and beginning to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the capers, anchovy paste, red pepper flakes and the blanched lemon slices and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the anchovy paste and brown the lemons, for another 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and remaining teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until parts of the zucchini turn deep brown while some parts remain al dente, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than package directions, about 8 minutes. Add 1/3 cup pasta water to the skillet with the zucchini and stir to deglaze. Use a pair of tongs to remove the pasta directly to the skillet. Sprinkle the bare pasta with the Parmesan and toss well to coat the pasta with the zucchini sauce. (Some of the zucchini should have gotten rather soft, which helps to create a silky sauce.) Add another 1/2 cup pasta water if needed to maintain the sauce. Top the pasta with the herbs and feta and serve.

CHICKEN WITH A LEMON HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Chicken: Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on the smooth side of each breast. Place in the skillet seasoned side down and cook without disturbing until brown and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the top side of the chicken and flip. Cook 1 minute over the burner; then transfer the skillet to the oven until chicken registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes more. Place on a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• For the sauce: smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the salt, and with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Transfer to a blender with the parsley, mint, pepper, lemon zest, and juice. Pulse until coarsely chopped and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Pour into a small bowl and adjust seasoning. Deglaze pan with the sauce, if desired, and serve with the chicken.

SIMPLE LEMON HERB CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut lemon in half, and squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon on chicken. Season with salt to taste. Let sit while you heat oil in a small skillet over medium low heat.
• When oil is hot, put chicken in skillet. As you saute chicken, add juice from other 1/2 lemon, pepper to taste, and oregano. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes each side, or until juices run clear. Serve with parsley for garnish.

PASTA WITH LEMON, HERBS AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and add enough salt so that you can taste it. Bring to a boil. Pour the chicken broth into a small saucepan, drop in the garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce by half. Remove garlic. Shut off the heat; add the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste. It should be highly seasoned because this will be the sauce for the pasta. Keep warm. Place 4 serving bowls in a low oven.
• When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. After five minutes, ladle out about 1 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta, shake, then return it to the pot. Place over low heat and pour in the chicken broth. Sprinkle in the mint, marjoram and fennel and a little olive oil. Stir. The pasta should be brothy and lemony. Add some of the reserved cooking water, salt and more lemon juice, if needed.
• Spoon into bowls so that the pasta is lying in a bit of broth. Crumble the ricotta over top, sprinkle with a dash more oil and grind pepper over the top. Serve.

LEMONY PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just under al dente, 1 minute less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
• Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini or other squash: Season chunks with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the squash in one layer (you may need to do this in two batches) and cook undisturbed until it begins to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside. Taste and season again, if necessary.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the garlic becomes translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the squash back to the pan along with the lemon juice and half the lemon zest. Toss to combine.
• Add the pasta to the skillet, and toss to combine. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and the grated cheese, and toss until the cheese emulsifies and is silky. If needed, add an additional 1/4 cup pasta water or more to loosen. Add the fresh herbs and toss again. Top with additional herbs and the remaining lemon zest. Serve in bowls, and pass grated cheese at the table. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

SUMMER PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

FETTUCCINE WITH SHREDDED ZUCCHINI, FRESH RICOTTA, AND LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• Place a large pot of water over high heat. When the water is at a rolling boil, add a big pinch of salt, drop in the fettucine, and stir. Cook the pasta, stirring from time to time, according to package directions for al dente, usually about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds longer. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the zucchini, and cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove and reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and quickly toss with the zucchini, parsley, and mint. Spoon on the ricotta and toss lightly again, add small amounts of the cooking water to lighten the cheese to the consistency you like, and serve.