Spaghetti with Lemon Verbena-Grilled Chicken
2015-11-10- Cuisine: American, Mediterranean, Type: Entrée, Product Line: Barilla Veggie, Barilla® Traditional Semolina
This herb-rich dish uses fragrant lemon verbena in the marinade and basil plus arugula in the almond pesto. Spaghetti gets topped with grilled chicken, heirloom tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese. It’s a great option for a buffet table.
Instructions
Step 1
Cook the Barilla® pasta for half the time indicated on the package. Drain pasta and drizzle with some olive oil to prevent from sticking. Place pasta flat on sheet trays or hotel pans and cool in a blast chiller. Alternatively, cool it down in a walk-in cooler. Store in zip lock bags or sealed plastic container; refrigerate and use within several hours.
Step 2
For the marinade, combine the verbena, 1/2 c. agave nectar, white wine, 1/4 c. salt, and 1/2 c. pepper. Add the chicken. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Step 3
For the pesto, puree the canola oil, lemon zest and juice, and 4 tsp. agave nectar. Add and blend in the basil, arugula, and almonds until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the pesto with the cooled spaghetti and set aside.
Step 4
For each serving, to order: Prepare long platters for a buffet, or portion about 1 1/3 c. spaghetti. Remove chicken from marinade and grill. Slice it against the grain and layer it over the spaghetti. Add 1/3 c. tomatoes and about 2 1/2 Tbsp. cheese. Garnish with additional verbena.
Ingredients
- 4 lb. Barilla spaghetti
- 1 c. chopped fresh lemon verbena
- 1/2 c. agave nectar
- 1/2 c. black pepper
- 1 qt. white wine
- 1/4 c. salt
- 20 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 qt. canola oil
- 4 lemons, zested and juiced
- 4 tsp. agave nectar
- 4 c. fresh basil
- 20 c. arugula
- 4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
- 4 pt. heirloom baby tomatoes, halved
- 4 c. crumbled goat cheese
- Fresh lemon verbena, for garnish
Chef Recommended Cuts
- Angel Hair
- Spaghetti
- Veggie Thin Spaghetti
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Nutritional Info
This information is per serving.
Please note: for the purpose of the nutritional assessment, total sodium does not include salt added to the cooking water. When salt is listed "as needed" in the ingredient list, 1 tsp total is included in the analysis.