Chicken-less Scallopini with Capellini

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups chopped broccoli flowerets

¼ pound capellini

3 Tablespoons butter, divided

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Chicken-less chicken scallopini, slightly thawed (I like Gardein (R) brand)

½ cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated parmesan

2 ½ cups chopped cremini mushrooms

3 fresh sage leaves

Juice from ¼ lemon

1 cup creamy white melting cheese like provel, provolone, or fontina

Directions:

1.       Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and drop in the broccoli. Cook until just bright green (about 2 minutes) and remove with a slotted spoon to a colander. Immediately rinse with very cold water and set aside. Turn the heat to low on the water, but keep it for the pasta.

2.       Put out three shallow bowls. In the first one, stir together the flour, salt and pepper. In the second, put the milk. In the third, mix together the breadcrumbs and parmesan.

3.       Melt butter and olive over medium in a large skillet (You’ll know it’s good to cook when you drop a few breadcrumbs in and the sizzle slightly).

4.       Dredge the scallopini in flour, then in milk, then in breadcrumb mixture.

5.       Add the scallopini and cook until light golden brown on the bottom. Turnover and place the sage leaves and cheese, ¼ cup per scallopini, on top. Cover loosely with foil and cook until the bottom is lightly golden and the cheese has melted. Use a spatula to remove to a plate, leaving the butter/oil in the skillet, and cover loosely with foil.

6.       Bring the water back to a boil and drop in the pasta—cook according to package directions.

7.       Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.

8.       Add the vegetable stock to the skillet with the mushrooms in it and simmer until slightly reduced.

9.       Add the broccoli to the skillet and then use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet (this allows some of the starchy pasta water to thicken the sauce. Add the lemon juice and the last tablespoon of butter.

10.   Tilt the skillet and use a tasting spoon to see if you need the salt and pepper-adjust to your taste.

11.   Put the pasta on serving plates and top with the scallopini.

12.   Pour any sauce left in the pan over the top of the scallopini.

  

Shortcuts and notes: Use pounded out chicken breasts in place of chickenless—you will just have to cook longer and at a lower temp to get them done. Use frozen, thawed broccoli instead of fresh. Use chicken broth instead of vegetable.