Serves 2
with Basil and Lemon
While we’ll take the classic combo of mozzarella, tomato, and basil in pretty much any form, when our chefs let us know they transformed caprese into a hearty pasta dinner, we could barely contain ourselves. Here, orecchiette (that’s Italian for “little ears!”) is tossed with Italian-spiced chicken, juicy tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella in a lemony basil vinaigrette. Need we say more?
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Pick basil leaves from stems and discard stems; reserve a few leaves for garnish and mince remaining. Zest and quarter lemon.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 TBSP olive oil (4 TBSP for 4 servings), minced basil, lemon zest, juice from half the lemon, salt (we used ½ tsp; use 1 tsp for 4), and pepper. Set aside.
Once water is boiling, add pasta to pot. Cook until al dente, 13-15 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Turn off heat; stir in garlic herb butter.
While chicken cooks, dice tomato into ½-inch pieces. Dice mozzarella into ½-inch cubes.
Stir pasta, chicken, tomato, and mozzarella into bowl with dressing until everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper; divide between bowls. Tear reserved basil leaves into pieces and sprinkle over pasta. Top with a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Slice remaining lemon into wedges and serve on the side.
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