Carolyn & MCTV staffer Michelle Houle team up to make a favorite recipe. The hitch? Carolyn has a cast on one hand and Michelle doesn't cook! Super fun:)
Chicken & Roasted Garlic Scampi
Yield: Approx. 6 servings
2 whole heads garlic, left intact and 1/4" sliced off the pointed end
Extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt, cracked black pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 lb. boneless breast of chicken, cut into 2" pieces
1/2 c. white wine
2 c. chicken stock
4 c. packed baby spinach
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Preheat oven to 375. Use 2 squares of tinfoil to make two deep pouches in a shallow baking dish, one for each head of garlic. Cover garlic with a good glug of olive oil and seal each pouch tightly at the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until garlic is completely tender, golden brown, and caramelized. Remove from the oven to cool, then squish the roasted garlic out of their skins into a small dish. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta and preheat a large shallow skillet over medium-high. Season the flour generously with salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken pieces to coat thoroughly. Add olive oil to just cover bottom of the hot pan, shake excess flour from chicken and add the pieces to the pan in a single layer (you may need to do this in two batches, adding more oil as needed). Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until nicely golden on the bottom. ***Start cooking pasta now. Turn chicken pieces, cooking 3-4 minutes or until browned and fully cooked through, then add the roasted garlic followed by the white wine. Deglaze the pan, scraping up brown bits on bottom, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce begins to thicken. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, then add the cooked pasta to the pan tossing gently to combine everything. Serve with parmesan cheese if desired.