Angel Hair With Sage and Lemon Chicken Sauce
Within the many pages of this site you'll often read about one of my favorite foodies, Janet Conomos. She has inspired me in so many way and whenever I am home visiting my parents in Pittsburgh I head over to her kitchen to see and taste the food she making. When I was younger it seems that every time I would go over to the Conomos house there would be lemon chicken in the oven. The use of lemons is a key element in Greek cooking and Mrs. C utilized them often.
Over the summer I was visiting in New York and prepared a dinner for Kate, my business partner, and some other friends. One of the dishes, which was inspired by Mrs. Conomos and love of lemons, was a pasta dish with sage and lemon chicken sauce. So when Kate and I decided to prepare a meal for our clients Jess and Kenny she insisted that I make the pasta again.
This is easy to make and absolutely delicious.
For 1.5 pounds of fresh angel hair pasta:
- 1 stick of butter + 2 tbsp of butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 8 sage leaves
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 1.5 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of dry white wine or dry vermouth
- 1.5 tbsps of flour
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Start by baking the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. While the chicken is cooking you can start making the sauce. Once the chicken is done let cook for about 15 minutes and then chop into small pieces.
Make sure you start your water to cook the pasta. Add salt to the water and begin cooking the pasta about 5-10 minutes before your sauce is done. If you are using fresh pasta it should not take too long to cook.
To prepare the sauce melt the butter (do not include the 2 tbsp as these will be used later) and sautee garlic over medium heat, being sure not to brown. Add the sage and onions and continue to cook until the onions are translucent. Add the lemon juice and then jack up the heat to high and once the pan is very hot add your wine or vermouth to the mixture and let cook down by half. Then add the chicken broth and let that cook down by half. As the liquid is cooking down melt the 2 tbsp of butter and then mix with the flour in a small bowl until combined and smooth. Whisk this mixture into the sauce and continue to cook. This will help to thicken the sauce a little. Turn down the heat to medium, add your chicken and let cook for a few more minutes. Taste the sauce and then add salt and pepper to your liking. If you think it is too lemony you can add a little sugar (about 2 tsps) to cut the bite.
When the pasta is ready, strain it well and then add it to the pan with the sauce. Let cook for a few minutes, tossing frequently, so that the flavors meld. Serve and enjoy.
