So many excellent cooks have contributed to this tasty dish. Thank you Kate and Mac!! The size of asparagus varies by season and location. This works well with green and white ones and you cannot miss the flavor this brings out from these delicate spears.
1 Hand full bunch of asparagus, thin or thick, your preference
This part can be any combination of your choice and degree of flavor as it is very flexible.
Extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan Pink Salt
White pepper, course ground
juice of one Lemon
Garlic powder, course chop fresh or pressed
Mix and brush on asparagus. Set aside for 10 min or longer is fine.
These look very large, but I am using my counter top convection oven for just the two of us. I always parchment line the pan my oven came with as it easily can be tossed when done and reduces cleanup. Some BBQ at this point, but with all the fire restrictions with this drought in Texas I am using this method. If you are lucky, BBQ them by all means!!
Set in a preheated broil setting for about 5 minutes, rolling them after 2. If thick ones are used you may have to add up to 2 minutes. I noticed in my oven and these thick ones I added the 2 minutes and still had a nice crisp outside and delicious inside.
We served this with basmati rice and small chicken in garlic pan fried.
Cut up three pieces of thigh boneless, skinless chicken. Drench with remaining asparagus marinade. Heat skillet set on medium high with a little olive oil. When hot, toss in chicken, allow to brown a bit before turning. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes depending upon your heat and allow for browning.
Serve hot, to do this start with the rice and when that is done then do the chicken and lastly the asparagus. Spring treat for the hungry two of you.
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Large Ceramic Bowl
- Pasta Pot
- Small Bowl
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- 1 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange bell pepper, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ large sweet onion, trimmed, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 1 large lemon, seeded, squeezed, should yield about ¼ cup juice or more
- ½ teaspoon each dill and thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups orzo
- 1 skinless chicken breast, sliced against the grain, then diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup diced ripe tomatoes, roma or heirloom is nice, canned works too!
- 1 cup mushrooms, button is nice or your favorite, sliced
- 1 cup olives, black, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cheese, pecorino Romano, grated on small grate
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Unsalted butter
You will need two pans, large stock pan for pasta, cast iron dutch oven and lid and a large and a medium size ceramic bowls for mixing during prep.
In large bowl, toss in cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet onion. Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil, add dill and thyme, ½ the lemon juice and toss very well and set aside.
In small bowl, toss in diced chicken and ½ the lemon juice, toss very well and set aside.
Start to boil a large pot of water for the pasta on high heat. Meanwhile…
Using another burner, set the dutch oven heat to med to high with a little olive oil, stir fry the cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet onion for 5 min. Final stir add garlic and set lid on pot and turn heat to low. Meanwhile…
Back to the large pasta pot which should be boiling hot and stir in the orzo, cook stirring occasionally for 11 minutes. Meanwhile…
Remove the vegetables from the dutch oven back to the large ceramic bowl and place the lid on the bowl to keep this warm. Meanwhile…
Toss the chicken into the dutch oven and return the heat to medium high. Stir fry for 5 minutes till just turning pink, add the tomatoes, mushroom and olives. Return the lid to the dutch oven pan and set to low. Meanwhile…
Pasta should be done, place in colander to drain but don’t rinse. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the still hot pasta pot. Stir till butter melted and stir in the cheese.
Ladle the pasta into large bowls, align veggies and chicken first and then pasta, garnish with a little more cheese over all.
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