Penne with Chicken and Asparagus

It's rare that I eat pasta, but when this is one of my favorite pasta dishes when I get the craving. The white balsamic vinegar gives this pasta great flavor without adding a heavy sauce.

Penne with Chicken and Asparagus

Adapted from: Claire Robinson, 2009
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast scaloppini cutlets
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar, plus more as needed
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces penne pasta 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
Preparation:

Put the chicken cutlets in a glass bowl and add the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to coat, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, over medium heat, and add a generous amount of salt.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with oil to keep it from sticking and season well with salt and pepper. Grill the cutlets, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Boil the pasta according to the package instructions. Add the asparagus in the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Carefully remove about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta in a colander, add some olive oil to the bottom of the pot and return the pasta to the pot, off the heat. Add the chicken and any juices released to the cooked pasta and toss to combine.

Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste and drizzle with additional olive oil and vinegar, if desired. Add the pasta cooking water, a tablespoon at a time and toss until the pasta is evenly moistened. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and serve warm, room temperature, or cold right out of the refrigerator.