Spaghetti with Mastiha-Greek Yogurt Grilled Chicken & Summer Vegetables
In the Greek diet, pasta is often cooked with both proteins such as chicken as well as a whole bevy of seasonal vegetables and fresh or dried Greek herbs. This easy recipe is perfect for weeknight meal when you’re looking for something fast and healthy and when you need a little of that one-of-a-kind comfort that only pasta can offer! You’ll see, too, how the Greek yogurt-mastiha marinade helps tenderize the chicken beautifully.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds chicken medallions
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon Mastiha powder
- ½ cup fresh strained orange juice
- 1 tablespoon Greek honey
- 1/3 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Greek mint
- Pinch of cumin powder
- Pinch of cayenne
- Greek sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Vegetables
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil plus more as needed for pasta
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas
- 1 ½ cups small broccoli florets fresh, not frozen
- 12 – 15 cherry tomatoes halved
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 small bunch of fresh basil trimmed and julienned
- 1 pound spaghetti or whole wheat spaghetti
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken. Whisk together the yogurt, mastiha powder, orange juice, honey, olive oil, mint, cumin, cayenne, sea salt and pepper and toss the chicken in this mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
- Light the barbecue or broiler. Skewer the chicken medallions onto 4 or 6 metal skewers and grill or broil for about 15 minutes, turning, until golden and tender. Remove and set aside, covered to keep warm.
- In the meantime, boil the pasta and make the vegetables.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- For the vegetables, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent, about 7 – 8 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and toss to coat in the oil. Add the peas and toss to coat. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for five minutes until the broccoli and peas are al dent. Add the tomato halves and shake the pan back and forth over the heat to distribute the vegetables evenly. Cook for five minutes. Add the lemon zest and basil.
- Remove the chicken from the skewers and gently stir into the vegetable mixture.
- Drain the pasta and save a half cup of the cooking liquid. Stir that into the vegetable mixture. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil. Serve with the vegetables and chicken on top.
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