Spring recipe roundup: Lemon oregano chicken, roasted broccolini, and a healthier pasta for Carbonara lovers

Last weekend, in conjunction with my Napa Valley conference, I got to spend some solid time with my college roommate Steph, her husband Nick (whom she met our Sophomore year), and our friend Val (of Val’s Mayan Hot Chocolate fame). The four of us rented a house near a vineyard, and for this tired New York girl, it was just what the doctor ordered. As Val put it, “there’s something so nourishing about spending time with old friends…it’s a feeling that truly cannot be replicated. Like no matter how much vitamin-D fortified milk you drink, it’ll never be a substitute for feeling real sunshine on your face.” She captured the weekend absolutely perfectly.

Because we wanted to spend as much relaxing time together as possible, we cooked every night, and Steph was in charge of the menus. Even in school, she was an amazing, innovative cook, able to whip up mouthwatering three-course meals from re-purposed dining hall food. We threw countless dinner parties that way. Her recipes just get better as the years go.

All of which is to say: I’ve come home with a trove full of new kitchen favorites. I’m passing along my three top picks. Not only do they each taste great, but they’re all easy and fun to make. The no-stress ingredient lists are about as simple as it gets, and the foods are incredibly pure and, well, really nourishing.

A few notes: We served the chicken and broccolini with roasted corn, country bread, and some mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and topped with mint, salt, and pepper. The pasta is something Steph recently learned from Lorenzo, Nick’s little sister’s Tuscan boyfriend. He claims it’s a precursor to the Carbonara, and I can tell you, it absolutely has that same rich, spicy, almost creamy taste–without the egg and cheese, so it doesn’t weigh you down for days afterward. Instead, it gets major points for use of good fats (olive oil, of course. But even pancetta, when it’s high quality, imparts health benefits).

Now, on to the recipes, which Steph has typed out below…

Lemon Oregano Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice from 5 Meyer lemons
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly gound pepper

Marinate for 1-2 hours, then grill (about 4-5 minutes per side).

Roasted Broccolini
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
Put broccolini in shallow roasting pan, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, 1 clove chopped garlic, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Roast until crisp-tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Lorenzo’s Pasta
Good Italian pasta (Lorenzo used rigatoni)
2 very large or 3 small yellow onions, chopped
3-4 thick slices pancetta, cubed
Good quality extra virgin olive oil (about half a cup)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté pancetta in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside for later. Sauté chopped onions in a generous amount of olive oil, somewhere in the ballpark of 1/3 cup. (The olive oil is the sauce here, so don’t skimp on quality or quantity.) Add chopped rosemary, and cook on low heat until onions and soft and lightly caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Add pancetta, then add salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta in large pot of heavily salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and add to sauce pot. Toss to combine, and serve.

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