This is a wonderful, well-rounded dinner for any night of the week! This is a quick recipe that serves two, but it can easily be doubled or tripled to serve the entire family. The Farfalline pasta salad is absolutely delicious. I make it on its own all the time whenever I need a quick lunch or snack. The red wine vinaigrette is great on pasta salads, on a simple green salad, or drizzled over roasted vegetables. The chicken marinade- made with Hungarian paprika, cumin, and chili powder- is quite flavorful, though you could easily add in ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper if you’d like it to be a bit spicier. The fennel is roasted to perfection and tossed with a bit of parmesan cheese at the end to add a cheesy topping. 

Lemon and Spice Marinated Chicken with Farfalline Pasta Salad and Roasted Fennel with Parmesan

Serves 2 (can easily be doubled)

Side dishes adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

Lemon and Spice Marinated Chicken Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, lemon zest and juice, parsley, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. 
2. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. 
3. Heat a grill pan over med-high heat. Cook the chicken 4-5 minutes per side until chicken registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. 

Farfalline with Tomatoes, Chickpeas, and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ cups small pasta (farfalline, tiny elbows, or orzo)
• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed
• 4 oz. container cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the ½ cup olive oil to emulsify the vinaigrette. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions or cook the pasta in 4 cups of chicken broth instead of water, which lends great flavor to the pasta. 
3. Transfer the drained pasta into a large serving bowl and toss with cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil, mint, and vinaigrette. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 fennel bulbs, fronds removed and sliced thin
• Salt and Pepper
• ½ cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a small sheet pan, brush both sides of fennel slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 40 minutes until fennel is tender and browned. Sprinkle with parmesan and roast for an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. 

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