Spring Chicken Pesto Rigatoni
with Spinach, Charred Scallions, Almonds, Ricotta & Bacon
Think you’ve had every possible combo of chicken and pasta? Spring this decadent dish on your tastebuds for a flavorful surprise! Lemon juice and basil pesto coat rigatoni for a bright base that lets the stars of the meal really shine. Toasted almonds and charred scallions add smoky depth to pasta, then everything’s topped with garlicky chicken, a dollop of lemony ricotta, and a sprinkle of crumbled bacon. Sweet and savory, rich and refreshing—this delightful dinner features your favorite spring flavors in full bloom.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Ingredients
4 unit
Scallions
1 unit
Lemon
4 ounce
Bacon
10 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 ounce
Almonds
(Contains Tree Nuts)
6 ounce
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains Wheat)
4 ounce
Ricotta Cheese
(Contains Milk)
5 ounce
Spinach
½ cup
Pesto
(Contains Milk)
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
Not included in your delivery
4 teaspoon
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Instructions
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Halve scallions crosswise, separating whites from greens. Zest and quarter lemon. • Heat a large, dry pan over medium- high heat. Add scallion whites and scallion greens; cook 1-2 minutes per side, until charred. TIP: Scallion greens will cook faster than scallion whites. Once greens are charred, remove from pan and continue cooking whites. • Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
• Slice bacon* crosswise into 1⁄4-inch pieces. • Heat dry pan used for scallions over medium-high heat. Add bacon in an even layer; cook undisturbed, until crispy on bottom, 2-3 minutes. • Stir bacon; cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 2-5 minutes more. • Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel- lined plate. Reserve bacon fat in pan. Once cool enough to handle, crumble bacon into smaller pieces.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. • Once pan used for bacon has cooled slightly, heat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board. Wipe out pan. • Heat a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
• Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta cooking water (1 cup for 4 servings), then drain and return to pot. • While pasta cooks, place ricotta in a small bowl. (TIP: To save on cleanup, mix ricotta directly in cup.) Season with 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4), lemon zest to taste, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Add spinach, pesto, stock concentrate, juice from half the lemon, and 1⁄4 cup reserved pasta cooking water (1⁄2 cup for 4 servings) to pot with pasta. Toss until spinach is wilted and pasta is al dente. If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is thoroughly coated in sauce. • Stir in almonds and chopped scallions. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Slice chicken crosswise. • Divide pasta between bowls and top with chicken. Dollop with seasoned ricotta and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Season with pepper. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.
