Ditalini Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Mini Baguette
• 1 Roma Tomato
• 1 Romaine Heart
• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 3 oz Ditalini
• 1 ½ oz Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
• ⅓ fl. oz. White Wine Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Salt Pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook Within: Resting cooked meats before slicing allows juices to redistribute, meaning a more tender and flavorful meal for you! Though there are many claims to who invented the Caesar salad, it is most often attributed to Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant and restaurateur. It is said that Caesar was short of supplies on a busy weekend and didn’t want to disappoint the customers, so he concocted this salad with what was on hand. For added flair, he prepared it table-side. The salad soon became a hit and people came to the restaurant just for the salad.

2. 2

   Prepare the Ingredients: Mince garlic. Halve baguette and cut into ¾” cubes. Halve Roma tomato lengthwise and slice halves into half-moons. Hold romaine head at root end and chop coarsely. Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry, and season both sides with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper.

3. 3

   Make the Croutons: toss with 1 tsp. olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and spread into a single layer. Bake until golden brown, 7-9 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle warm croutons with a pinch of Parmesan (reserve remaining for dressing and garnish). While croutons cook, make dressing and salad.

4. 4

   Add pasta to boiling water and cook, stirring: occasionally, until tender, 11-13 minutes. Drain in colander and return to pot. Toss with 1 tsp. olive oil and set aside. While pasta cooks, cook chicken.

5. 5

   Make Dressing and Toss Salad.: garlic, white wine vinegar, half the remaining Parmesan (reserve remaining for garnish), and ¼ cup water until well-mixed. Season with ¼ tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. Add romaine, cooked pasta, tomato slices, and sliced chicken. Toss to combine.

6. 6

   Cook the Chicken: medium-high heat. Add chicken to hot pan and cook until well-browned and chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes before slicing into ¼” slices.

7. 7

   Garnish with remaining Parmesan.: recipe–it has bigger grains and is easier to pinch than table salt, allowing more control over flavor. If using regular table salt, reduce measured amounts used three times. A pinch is sprinkled over cooked croutons, half the remaining is added to dressing, and remaining garnishes dish. the recipe before you start–we promise it will be time • Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil • Place a colander in the sink