I have finally returned from my 10-month study abroad exchange in Sweden. I had a wonderful year meeting great friends, taking interesting courses, traveling, and of course, eating amazing food from across Europe! I learned how to make foods I'd never had before until now, and can assure you that I'll be writing a couple of posts on Swedish foods and some pretty amazing sweet treats. If you're interested in what the heck I have been up to all year, feel free to read my other blog. Or else, it's back to more food adventures in and out of the kitchen, in good ol' Vancity.
Though I did manage to cook great meals while abroad, there's really no place like one's own kitchen. You know your way around, you have all the equipment, tools, and ingredients you want. Plus, it's clean (thanks, Mom!).
I decided to make a light dish for tonight's dinner, inspired from two of the best culinary countries, Italy and France. Seeing as how it's been nearly a year since I've been home, I was happy to find that nothing had been thrown away. Within the lower cupboard, behind a cluster of empty mason jars, a selection of unopened wines (we don't drink a lot in this household), was a much-neglected pasta machine. Today is its lucky day.
It felt so great to make homemade pasta, as this isn't something that I did this past year, and honestly isn't something that I do on a normal basis even when I'm home. But today, while stirring the eggs and flour together into a simple dough, feeling the liquid from the egg oozing between my fingers, and the flour softly solidifying the mix, reminded me of the simplicity and fun involved in making pasta from scratch.
For a healthy and colourful twist, I added cooked, pureed spinach to the dough. In the meantime, I roasted a couple chicken thighs with vine-ripened tomatoes, garlic, and lemon slices. I sprinkled over a healthy pinch of my Herbes de Provence that I purchased in Nice, for a bit of French flair. If you are unsure as to how to make fresh pasta and how to roll, I recommend reading a basic recipe for fresh pasta by Jamie Oliver, which is what I always refer to.
This is a feel-good meal that is filling enough to be served as a main dish, but has light ingredients and flavours, perfect for a summer evening.
Feelin' Good Spinach Fettuccine with Roasted Provençal Chicken
makes 4 servings
4 eggs
1/4 cup cooked and pureed spinach, drained of its liquid
pinch of salt
4 cups flour
3 chicken thighs
4 large tomatoes (or a bunch of cherry tomatoes), cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsp Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
For the spinach fettuccine:
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the eggs and spinach. Beat the eggs and spinach together.
Gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs and spinach, until most of the flour is mixed in and a soft dough is formed.
Knead the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out in the pasta machine until approximately the thickness of a playing card (setting number 3 on my machine). The feed through a fettuccine roller, or use a knife to cut into long strips.
Toss the strips of pasta in flour, and let dry on a cookie sheet or dry kitchen towel.
For the roasted chicken:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Scatter the tomato chunks on the bottom of an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, then place the chicken thighs over top.
Place the lemon slices on top of the chicken.
Sprinkle with the garlic, herbes, salt and pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink inside.
Pour contents of the roasted chicken into a large pan, and cook and reduce the liquid to a sauce.
Cook the pasta over salted, boiling water, for 3 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with the chicken and sauce. Serve immediately and impress your guests.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the eggs and spinach. Beat the eggs and spinach together.
Gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs and spinach, until most of the flour is mixed in and a soft dough is formed.
Knead the dough until it becomes smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out in the pasta machine until approximately the thickness of a playing card (setting number 3 on my machine). The feed through a fettuccine roller, or use a knife to cut into long strips.
Toss the strips of pasta in flour, and let dry on a cookie sheet or dry kitchen towel.
For the roasted chicken:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Scatter the tomato chunks on the bottom of an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, then place the chicken thighs over top.
Place the lemon slices on top of the chicken.
Sprinkle with the garlic, herbes, salt and pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink inside.
Pour contents of the roasted chicken into a large pan, and cook and reduce the liquid to a sauce.
Cook the pasta over salted, boiling water, for 3 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with the chicken and sauce. Serve immediately and impress your guests.
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