Recipe

Poached Chicken & Goat Cheese over Farfalle and Spinach

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 4

Poaching chicken in wine is a wonderful technique that adds loads of flavour without adding loads of fat. In this pasta dish, the poached chicken is tossed with Romano and goat cheese, red onion, balsamic vinegar and fresh oregano to create a mouthwatering kick of flavour. This delicious dish will impress your dinner guests with its delicate textures and savoury aromas.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb (0.7 kg) bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine
3 cups (750 mL) farfalle pasta
2 cups (500 mL) red onion(s), thinly sliced
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) black pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
30 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) oregano, fresh, minced
4 cups (1 L) baby spinach
3 oz (90 g) goat cheese
1/4 cup (60 mL) Romano cheese, grated
4 sprigs oregano

Instructions

1 Place chicken breasts in non-stick pan, pour white wine over chicken breasts and bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to low and poach for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
2 Remove chicken from stock and set aside to cool. Reserve stock. You should have 1 ½ cups (375 mL) of stock. If necessary top up with white wine.
3 Remove chicken from bone and shred or cut into bite sized pieces.
4 Put stock in small saucepan and reduce to 1 cup (250 mL).
5 Cook pasta in unsalted boiling water, according to package directions, until al dente.
6 Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add ground black pepper, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir well, cover and cook until onions are browned or caramelized, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Transfer onions to bowl; reserve skillet.
7 Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Add reserved stock to skillet with onions, tomatoes, chicken and oregano. Toss in pasta. Stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes until well mixed and heated through.
8 To serve divide baby spinach among four dinner plates. Top with pasta and then crumbled goat cheese. Garnish with grated Romano cheese and a sprig of fresh oregano.