Dairy, Egg, Nut & Gluten-Free Chicken Pasta... with a Festive Holiday Flare
Sure, it's the most wonderful time of the year... but, oh my, is it the BUSIEST! My color-coded calendar looks like a rainbow gone rogue in December, and that's why I relish any opportunity to put a quick, easy and healthy dinner on my table. For a month when it feels more impossible than ever to make family meals happen, I want to share a recipe with you that will not only take you NO time to prepare, but will also please the pickiest of eaters in your house. And, it's even pretty and festive enough, with it's red and green accents, to take center stage as a side dish at your next holiday party!
Step one in this dish... take a short cut and go get yourself a rotisserie chicken! Now, there are many store rotisserie chicken brands that are not safe for my boys due to the possibility of cross-contamination, so I have to be picky with where I buy ours... Just be sure to do your homework when choosing a safe option for you (our Whole Foods store has always been our go-to). From there, all you need to do is grab a box of your favorite gluten-free pasta, a pint of cherry tomatoes, a bundle of asparagus, some olive oil and a handful of spices, and you are good to go! Here's how you throw it all together.
Dairy, Egg, Nut and Gluten-Free Holiday Chicken Pasta
1 8 oz. box of gluten-free penne pasta
1 rotisserie chicken, off the bone and shredded
1 bunch of asparagus (1/2-1 lb), cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoon minced garlic (to taste)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
chopped parsley for garnish, if desired
dairy-free Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
Fill medium saucepan with water and bring to boil. Cook pasta until al dente, then drain and set aside.
Remove rotisserie chicken from bone and shred/cut into bit-sized pieces; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, garlic, mustard powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper until mix well. Slowly add in 3/4 cup of olive oil and continue to whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Cut asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces and half the tomatoes. Heat 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and saute' asparagus and tomatoes until slightly soft, but not mushy (approximately 3-5 minutes). Once vegetables are softened, add shredded chicken, vinegar and oil mixture, and pasta to pan. Toss until coated and well-combined. If you feel like it needs additional salt and pepper at this point, add to taste.
Transfer pasta to large serving bowl and garnish with parsley and/or dairy-free Parmesan cheese, if desired.
