Chicken Cutlets & Disappearing Zucchini Orzo
it disappears twice
It’s not often that I find a favorite recipe in a regular book— not a cookbook, just a regular old book— in this case, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver— but this recipe is one I return to again and again, especially in the Augusts and Septembers when I’m inundated by squash. (I’m sure it would work with yellow squash too, though I’ve never tried it.)
But it doesn’t have to be August to make this recipe. There are lovely zucchinis in the store year-round. The nice thing about it is that even if you are using an overgrown, late-summer zucchini, it sort-of melts into the orzo as it cooks, so you barely notice you’re eating it. And then the whole dish somehow magically disappears as your family devours it. Hence the twice disappearing. Plus, it uses up so much zucchini! And the chicken cutlets are delicious!
Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Orzo
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free breadcrumbs
Dairy free: Use dairy-free cheese or nutritional yeast; use olive oil
Kids Can Help
Grate cheese & zucchini, sprinkle chicken with breadcrumbs & spices, stir pasta, vegetables, & cheese together
Ingredients
For the orzo:
1 lb package (2.5 cups) uncooked orzo pasta
3-4 small or 2 large zucchini (for 5-6 cups grated)
1 white onion
3 cloves of garlic
½ tsp salt plus more for cooking the pasta
3 Tbsp butter or olive oil
2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano (for 1 cup grated)
For the chicken:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lb)
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
Salt
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Directions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make the water taste good (about 1 tsp, or more depending on the amount of water).
Step 2
Add orzo and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. While pasta is cooking, move on to steps 3-6.
Step 3
Using a box grater, grate zucchini on largest setting (¼” holes). (Or you can also use a food processor!)
Step 4
Finely chop onion and garlic.
Step 5
Heat 1.5 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and zucchini and ½ tsp salt and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 6
Grate Parmigiano Reggiano and set aside.
Step 7
Once pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.
Step 8
In a large bowl, mix pasta with the remaining 1.5 Tbsp of butter, the zucchini mixture, and the grated cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
Step 9
Slice chicken breasts horizontally into slices about 1 cm thick. Sprinkle the tops generously with garlic powder, then breadcrumbs and salt, pressing down with a spatula to make sure the coating sticks.
Step 10
In a medium-large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Lay chicken breasts seasoned-side down and cook 2-3 minutes until the undersides have browned. Sprinkle the tops with breadcrumbs, salt, and garlic powder, pressing down with a spatula again, and then flip. Cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes and then lower heat; cover. Continue to cook until chicken registers 165 degrees in the center. Serve immediately.