RECIPE: CHICKEN ROMANO WITH PASTA ALA VODKA

INGREDIENTS

Pickle

  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 Cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 Garlic cloved, smashed
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 Small fennel bulb, shaved
  • 1 Fresno chile, shaved

Chicken

  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Tablespoon milk
  • 2 Cups panko
  • 2 Ounces Pecorino Romano, grated
  • 4 thin sliced or pounded chicken breasts, 5-6 oz ea
  • Olive oil for pan-frying

Pasta

  • 2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Medium onion, small dice
  • 4 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 Ounces Stancato’s Classic Cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon Calabrian chiles, minced
  • 2 Ounces vodka
  • 6 Ounces cream, room temperature
  • 1 LB cavatappi, or similar pasta
  • 4 Ounces grated Parmiggiano
  • Salt & pepper
  • 6 fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Pickle

  1. Bring water, vinegar, garlic, salt and sugar to a boil
  2. Add fennel and chile and remove from heat
  3. Set aside and allow to cool at room temperature

Chicken

  1. Season flour on a plate with salt and pepper
  2. Using a fork, combine egg and milk on a plate until smooth
  3. Combine panko & Romano on a plate
  4. Season chicken with salt & pepper
  5. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip in egg wash, dredge in panko crumbs
  6. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add enough oil to pan fry
  7. Once oil is hot, add chicken to pan and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked to 165 degrees. Keep warm in an oven set to low.

Pasta

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium. Add onion and garlic, stirring constantly, just until onion is starting to brown around the edges, 5–7 minutes
  2. Add Stancato’s Classic Cheese and chile, stirring often, until it is starting to brown on bottom, 5–7 minutes
  3.  Carefully add vodka to deglaze pan and stir to incorporate, scraping bottom of pot. Reduce heat to low
  4. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce forms. Remove from heat
  5. Add pasta to pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid for later
  6. Begin to heat pan with the sauce and using a spider, transfer pasta to pan.
  7. Add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid to pan and stir to incorporate, add half of the Parmiggiano, stirring constantly to melt cheese
  8. Season with salt and add a splash more pasta cooking liquid to thin sauce, if needed
  9. Once pasta is coated evenly with sauce, turn off heat.
  10. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with chicken, remaining cheese, pickled fennel then tear basil leaves over top as garnish.
  11. Enjoy!