Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta Toss - Bakespace International Cooking Tour

When Saltimbocca was decided for the Coast to Coast Challenge I thought I'd sit it out. You see, I believe I have really perfected this dish and I didn't want to alter it. Steve loves it, our friends and family love it. I make it often and already blogged about it. Check out my post here. However, this challenge (or is it cook off?) has gone international and I didn't want to miss out on the fun. I thought that I could make this dish a one pot pasta dish and instead of serving the spinach on the side I would toss it in. So, I did it and you guessed it, it was meant to be! This dinner was fabulous, so fabulous in fact that I couldn't help laughing at how good (and easy) it was. I know, I'm a dork but I just felt SO good about it.

This is almost identical to my other recipe so I'm probably just going to do a little copy and paste but that's why it's so great, I didn't change the recipe, it's just new! Now I know I said this is a one pot dish but consider that I need lots of garlic in my spinach (yes Dad...Garlic...we're Italian...embrace it) so instead of just tossing it in at the end (which you could absolutely do) I decided to saute it separately in garlic and oil and toss it in already cooked. I think it added great flavor.

Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta Toss

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or strips
5 slices of prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup marsala wine
1 cup all purpose flour
wondra flour
approx. 2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
fresh sage
4-5 tbsp butter (can be adjusted or substiuted with oil)
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound cellantani pasta or any short tubular pasta will do
spinach, prepared (see below) or one bag of fresh spinach

Directions:

1. Season all purpose flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Lightly dredge chicken into flour shaking off excess. Melt 2 tbs butter and 1 tbsp oil into a large hot pan. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until nicely browned, remove from pan and set aside for later.






2. In the same pan sauté 4 cloves garlic adding more butter or oil if the pan is dry. After a minute or so add the prosciuto slices and let them crisp up. Add a few torn leaves of fresh sage. Toss garlic and prosciutto together and then add marsala wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let liquid reduce to about half. Add chicken stock and cook for about 10 minutes until reduced a bit. At this point you can add some more sage to infuse the flavor into the liquid. Sprinkle in wondra flour a little at a time and stir after each addition until you get the the thickness you like. You want the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Once desired consistency is reached add cooked chicken and any accumulated juices into the sauce.


3. Meantime cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. (If cooking the spinach prepare now as it only takes minutes to cook.) Drain pasta and add to the pan with the sauce and toss, add spinach and toss.







Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients:

1 bag spinach
4 cloves garlic cracked
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Directions:

Sauté garlic in oil until it begins to lighly brown, add in the spinach and toss so it gets coated with oil. Add more oil if needed, season with salt (and pepper if you like) and once wilted it's done.

There have been some exciting additions to our coast to coast challenges! For one, we have gone international and second, DD of DDpie's Slice has been kind enough to make us a bakespace map. Click on the map to go on our International Saltimbocca Cooking Tour! It's so interesting to see how creative the Bakespace members are. Each recipe is different so you'll be sure to find AT LEAST one you like! On the map, you can choose a location on the left hand pane or you can click on a marker on the map. When the pic of the dish pops up, click on it and it will take you to that person's blog. Hope you have fun on our International Tour!

Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta Toss - Bakespace International Cooking Tour

When Saltimbocca was decided for the Coast to Coast Challenge I thought I'd sit it out. You see, I believe I have really perfected this dish and I didn't want to alter it. Steve loves it, our friends and family love it. I make it often and already blogged about it. Check out my post here. However, this challenge (or is it cook off?) has gone international and I didn't want to miss out on the fun. I thought that I could make this dish a one pot pasta dish and instead of serving the spinach on the side I would toss it in. So, I did it and you guessed it, it was meant to be! This dinner was fabulous, so fabulous in fact that I couldn't help laughing at how good (and easy) it was. I know, I'm a dork but I just felt SO good about it.

This is almost identical to my other recipe so I'm probably just going to do a little copy and paste but that's why it's so great, I didn't change the recipe, it's just new! Now I know I said this is a one pot dish but consider that I need lots of garlic in my spinach (yes Dad...Garlic...we're Italian...embrace it) so instead of just tossing it in at the end (which you could absolutely do) I decided to saute it separately in garlic and oil and toss it in already cooked. I think it added great flavor.

Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta Toss

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or strips
5 slices of prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup marsala wine
1 cup all purpose flour
wondra flour
approx. 2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
fresh sage
4-5 tbsp butter (can be adjusted or substiuted with oil)
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound cellantani pasta or any short tubular pasta will do
spinach, prepared (see below) or one bag of fresh spinach

Directions:

1. Season all purpose flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Lightly dredge chicken into flour shaking off excess. Melt 2 tbs butter and 1 tbsp oil into a large hot pan. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until nicely browned, remove from pan and set aside for later.






2. In the same pan sauté 4 cloves garlic adding more butter or oil if the pan is dry. After a minute or so add the prosciuto slices and let them crisp up. Add a few torn leaves of fresh sage. Toss garlic and prosciutto together and then add marsala wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let liquid reduce to about half. Add chicken stock and cook for about 10 minutes until reduced a bit. At this point you can add some more sage to infuse the flavor into the liquid. Sprinkle in wondra flour a little at a time and stir after each addition until you get the the thickness you like. You want the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Once desired consistency is reached add cooked chicken and any accumulated juices into the sauce.


3. Meantime cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. (If cooking the spinach prepare now as it only takes minutes to cook.) Drain pasta and add to the pan with the sauce and toss, add spinach and toss.







Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients:

1 bag spinach
4 cloves garlic cracked
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Directions:

Sauté garlic in oil until it begins to lighly brown, add in the spinach and toss so it gets coated with oil. Add more oil if needed, season with salt (and pepper if you like) and once wilted it's done.

There have been some exciting additions to our coast to coast challenges! For one, we have gone international and second, DD of DDpie's Slice has been kind enough to make us a bakespace map. Click on the map to go on our International Saltimbocca Cooking Tour! It's so interesting to see how creative the Bakespace members are. Each recipe is different so you'll be sure to find AT LEAST one you like! On the map, you can choose a location on the left hand pane or you can click on a marker on the map. When the pic of the dish pops up, click on it and it will take you to that person's blog. Hope you have fun on our International Tour!

Chicken Saltimbocca

I have seen chicken saltimbocca prepared many ways over the years. Sometimes the chicken is rolled, sometimes it's flat and sometimes it is folded in half. I've seen it stuffed and I've seen it layered. I don't think there is any right or wrong method, just do what works best for you. I have tried to duplicate the saltimbocca that Steve and I get at a local pizzeria/restaurant. I think I came close! I served this at a dinner party that we had Sunday night with some of our friends.

I'm sorry that my measurements aren't exact. I just did it on the fly so I'll do my best to make a clear recipe.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves 6 - you can easily make more to satisfy bigger appetites or a larger crowd.

Ingredients:

6 thin sliced chicken cutlets
6 slices of prosciutto di parma
6 leaves fresh sage, torn in pieces
chicken broth
1 cup marsala wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
all purpose flour
wondra flour, optional (it's great for making a smooth gravy)
salt and pepper
4 bags baby spinach (three wasn't enough for 6 people)
5-8 cloves garlic cracked
1/2 stick unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 bag shredded mozzarella (I use part skim)

Directions:

1. In a shallow bowl or dish put about 1/2 cup flour or so (depending on how big your cutlets are) and season with salt and pepper.

2. On each chicken cutlet place a couple of pieces of sage leaves. I don't like the sage to overpower the chicken, so I only put about 2 pieces. You can leave the sage leaves whole and put one leaf on but I find that one area of the chicken ends up with all the flavor. It's completely up to you and your tastebuds. On top of the sage place one piece of prosciutto. Dredge both sides in flour then fold in half like a book and press together to seal it.

3. Once all chicken is prepared heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of oil and a pat of butter. Brown chicken on both sides adding more butter or oil as needed. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan add garlic and reduce heat to low so garlic doesn't burn. If your pan is dry be sure to add more butter or oil (I like to use a combo of both). (At this point you can add all purpose flour as a thickener for the sauce or you can wait and use wondra flour later.) Bring heat up again and add marsala wine. Use a wooden spoon to pick up any bits that have stuck to the pan. This makes a tasty sauce. Let wine cook down for about 5-8 minutes so the alcohol will burn out and the flavor has mellowed. Add chicken broth a little at a time and stir. Stir in wondra flour to thicken sauce. Add more chicken broth and flour as needed. It all depends on how much sauce you like. If I was going to serve this over pasta I would have made more sauce.

5. Reduce heat to medium low and add the chicken to the pan. The chicken is already cooked but we want it to absorb some of that flavor and let the sauce coat the chicken. Turn the chicken so both sides are coated. Sprinkle tops of chicken with shredded mozzarella (you won't use the whole bag, just enough to top each piece) and put under broiler until cheese is melted and browned. If you don't have a pan that is safe for the oven put a lid on top or some foil so the cheese melts.

6. While you are making the sauce for the chicken (or you can do this earlier in the day and reheat later), heat a medium size pan and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add cracked garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Add spinach and turn to coat in oil. You will have to do a little at a time and as the spinach cooks down add more spinach. Add more oil if you think it needs more. When spinach is wilted turn off the heat.

7. Serve chicken over or around spinach with extra sauce over the top of the chicken. If you like you can remove the cracked garlic.




Ignore the flour that's all over my shirt!!! lol

Chicken Saltimbocca

I have seen chicken saltimbocca prepared many ways over the years. Sometimes the chicken is rolled, sometimes it's flat and sometimes it is folded in half. I've seen it stuffed and I've seen it layered. I don't think there is any right or wrong method, just do what works best for you. I have tried to duplicate the saltimbocca that Steve and I get at a local pizzeria/restaurant. I think I came close! I served this at a dinner party that we had Sunday night with some of our friends.

I'm sorry that my measurements aren't exact. I just did it on the fly so I'll do my best to make a clear recipe.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves 6 - you can easily make more to satisfy bigger appetites or a larger crowd.

Ingredients:

6 thin sliced chicken cutlets
6 slices of prosciutto di parma
6 leaves fresh sage, torn in pieces
chicken broth
1 cup marsala wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
all purpose flour
wondra flour, optional (it's great for making a smooth gravy)
salt and pepper
4 bags baby spinach (three wasn't enough for 6 people)
5-8 cloves garlic cracked
1/2 stick unsalted butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 bag shredded mozzarella (I use part skim)

Directions:

1. In a shallow bowl or dish put about 1/2 cup flour or so (depending on how big your cutlets are) and season with salt and pepper.

2. On each chicken cutlet place a couple of pieces of sage leaves. I don't like the sage to overpower the chicken, so I only put about 2 pieces. You can leave the sage leaves whole and put one leaf on but I find that one area of the chicken ends up with all the flavor. It's completely up to you and your tastebuds. On top of the sage place one piece of prosciutto. Dredge both sides in flour then fold in half like a book and press together to seal it.

3. Once all chicken is prepared heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of oil and a pat of butter. Brown chicken on both sides adding more butter or oil as needed. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan add garlic and reduce heat to low so garlic doesn't burn. If your pan is dry be sure to add more butter or oil (I like to use a combo of both). (At this point you can add all purpose flour as a thickener for the sauce or you can wait and use wondra flour later.) Bring heat up again and add marsala wine. Use a wooden spoon to pick up any bits that have stuck to the pan. This makes a tasty sauce. Let wine cook down for about 5-8 minutes so the alcohol will burn out and the flavor has mellowed. Add chicken broth a little at a time and stir. Stir in wondra flour to thicken sauce. Add more chicken broth and flour as needed. It all depends on how much sauce you like. If I was going to serve this over pasta I would have made more sauce.

5. Reduce heat to medium low and add the chicken to the pan. The chicken is already cooked but we want it to absorb some of that flavor and let the sauce coat the chicken. Turn the chicken so both sides are coated. Sprinkle tops of chicken with shredded mozzarella (you won't use the whole bag, just enough to top each piece) and put under broiler until cheese is melted and browned. If you don't have a pan that is safe for the oven put a lid on top or some foil so the cheese melts.

6. While you are making the sauce for the chicken (or you can do this earlier in the day and reheat later), heat a medium size pan and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add cracked garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Add spinach and turn to coat in oil. You will have to do a little at a time and as the spinach cooks down add more spinach. Add more oil if you think it needs more. When spinach is wilted turn off the heat.

7. Serve chicken over or around spinach with extra sauce over the top of the chicken. If you like you can remove the cracked garlic.




Ignore the flour that's all over my shirt!!! lol