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greek-macaroni-and-cheese

Photo by: Joseph DeLeo
Comments: 0
 

Recipe

This is one of our lighter versions of mac and cheese (lighter, not low calorie!) because it uses no cream. It does have a few more ingredients than some of the other recipes, but if its popularity among our guests is any indication, your family will love it!

Yield : Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about ¾ pound), cut into 2 by ½-inch strips
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided), plus more for salting the pasta water
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (divided)
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 2 large cloves)
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
  • 1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, preferably De Cecco
  • 5 packed cups fresh spinach leaves (about 8 ounces or 2 bunches), washed and stems trimmed
  • 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
  • 1½ cups crumbled feta cheese (about 7 ounces)
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata or other black olives (see Love Note)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions

1. Arrange the chicken strips in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet (this makes it easier to season and dredge them). Sprinkle evenly with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and dredge the chicken in flour on both sides.

2. Place a large (12- to 14-inch) sauté pan over high heat for a couple of minutes. When hot, add the olive oil, swirl the pan to coat, and add the chicken strips in a single layer. Cook in batches if needed. Cook until slightly browned, about 1 minute. Turn the pieces or stir them so they brown evenly, about 1½ minutes more.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Push the chicken strips to the side of the pan as they continue to cook, and add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute, but do not let it brown or it will taste bitter.

4. Add the tomatoes, season with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and cook until they start to give off their juices, about 2 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring a medium (6- to 8-quart) pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously (it should taste like the sea). Stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain (but don’t rinse, or you’ll rinse away starches that will help thicken the sauce) and return to the empty pot.

6. Add the spinach, oregano, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pan with the tomatoes. Stir until the spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine to the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, and cook over medium-high heat until reduced slightly and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

7. Add the feta and olives to the pan, stirring well to incorporate. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce has thickened slightly. (Careful! Your pan can’t be too hot or the butter and sauce will separate and look oily. If that happens, take the sauce off the heat and add more feta to help the sauce bind together.)

8. Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained pasta in the pot. Place over medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stirring now and then.

9. Serve in individual bowls topped with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Love Note:

Kalamata olives are the quintessential Greek olive, with a salty and acidic flavor that does a great job of cutting through rich flavors. They’re widely available either pitted or unpitted, but if their flavor is too sharp for you, try substituting milder Nicoise or other black olives.


© 2009 Lisa Schroeder

Note from Cookstr's Editors

Nutritional information is based on 6 servings.

 

Nutritional Information

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

661kcal (33%)
1173mg (49%)
69g
5g
23g (35%)
0g
10g (49%)
9g
2g
79mg (26%)
6g
30g
102mg
767mg
238mcg RAE (8%)
16mg (27%)
284mg (28%)
4mg (25%)
 

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