Chicken with Zucchini Pappardelle

Happy Day After Easter! The eggs have been dyed, the families have been visited, and we have survived with minimal bumps and bruises. We faired pretty well, except for poor little DJ. Please excuse the pillow and bottle of aloe vera in the background. My husband has two shades - pale and lobster. I'm sure that you're able to see his scars from a battle with the shelving around the dining room table at Nana's house.

See both?

 I don't know about you, but I ate enough ham, kielbasa, and pirogi to last me for awhile. Time to lighten up. It's no secret that I love zucchini. I've proved it here and here and I'm not done yet.

Pappardelle is a pasta that is a very large and broad fettuccine. It is actually derived from the verb parpare, which means to gobble. That's exactly what we did - gobble this chicken right up. It is light and doesn't involve very much time in the kitchen with a hot oven on - perfect for the approaching summer season. 

Ingredients
1 pound zucchini, trimmed
2 garlic cloves
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin (1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 cup torn basil leaves

Directions
Shave zucchini lengthwise to 1/8 inch thick and put in a large bowl. Thinly slice garlic and reserve separately.  If you are lucky enough to have a functional blade slider, this should be a breeze. Mine was commandeered and I haven’t seen it since. (I am sure that it now lives in the man kingdom with half a dozen spoons and molded over coffee mugs.)

Pat chicken dry, then cut crosswise into thirds. Season both sides of the chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. To make sure that the oil keeps a consistent temperature, sauté chicken in batches. Place the chicken skin side down first, and cook until browned, flip, and continue until cooked through and juices run clear, approximately 8 to 14 minutes. Add chicken to zucchini.

Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits, then drizzle over chicken. Add basil and 1/4 teaspoon salt to bowl and toss until zucchini wilts slightly. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Source: adapted from Epicurious.com