Garlic chicken pasta

Garlicky Chicken Pasta

Serves 4

Marinate the chicken while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Ingredients

* 5 med.garlic cloves, minced (about 5 tsp), plus 4 medium cloves, smashed
* 1 pound veggie chicken cut into niblet pieces
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* Table salt
* 1 pound pasta in short, tubular shapes, such as fusilli or rigatoni
* 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup dry vermouth or white wine (I'm using chicken broth)
* 3/4 cup clam juice (broth here too)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges
* Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Toss 2 teaspoons minced chix, shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Let chix marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.

2. Heat 4 smashed garlic cloves and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to remove garlic from skillet; discard garlic. Set skillet aside.

3. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven.

4. While pasta cooks, return skillet with oil to medium heat; add chix with marinade to skillet in single layer. Cook chix, undisturbed, until oil starts to bubble gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chix to medium bowl. Add remaining 3 teaspoons minced garlic and pepper flakes to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; stir in vermouth and cook for 1 minute. Add clam juice and parsley; cook until mixture starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add chicken and sauce to pasta, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Season with black pepper. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.