Whole-Wheat Orzo with Marinated Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Shredded Chicken, and Corn

Roomie inspired me with her incredible (and incredibly easy) caprese pasta. Those tomatoes were sweet as candy! But, of course, I didn't want to copy her too much (tempted as I was), so I was looking for a similar idea with different flavors and textures. I decided to peruse one of my favorite cookbooks, Urban Italian, (which I lovingly refer to as "food porn") for some ideas on a dish where fresh cherry tomatoes would shine. I didn't want to roast them or make them into a sauce (why muddy up the flavor with too much cooking?) and a salad would just be a waste (salads, alas, are not my favorite way to eat). And there it was, a recipe for a fettuccine with marinated tomatoes and a goat cheese cream sauce. My curiosity was piqued.

Don't get me wrong, I love goat cheese. With caramelized onions on a tart, on top of a beet salad (a salad-type I do approve of), or spread onto a crostini with some slow roasted garlic and honey or apples. Mmm, mmm, good. But I'm not one of those people who can eat goat cheese with a spoon. The flavor can be a little intense for me. So while the idea of a goat cheese cream sauce sounded deliciously decadent, I decided it'd be better to take a more subtle approach with a scant sprinkling of crumbled cheese. Trade in the fettuccine for some whole wheat orzo (a texture I prefer) and throw in some chicken and corn to make the meal more complete and seasonally-friendly, and I had myself a pretty gosh darn satisfying dish for this summer-to-fall transition.

A few notes. First, I boiled my chicken because I had some locally-raised free range legs and thighs on hand. But, for vegetarians, you can leave out the chicken, and for those of you in a hurry, a store-bought rotisserie chicken will do just fine. Just ignore those parts of the recipe, and start straight in with the shredding. If you do decided to cook your chicken, be sure to save the liquid, as it makes a pretty easy chicken stock.

Second note: this meal is definitely on the sweeter side of savory. I mean, it's tomatoes, corn, balsamic vinegar, and tangy goat cheese. I liked it, and mine turned out pretty well-balanced for the ingredients used. Plus, in the summer/early fall heat, a little sweetness with a nice crisp wine ain't all bad. But, if you tend to like your food on the saltier side, this might not be for you. If you have any ideas on a good way to make the dish a little more savory, let me know!






Lastly, tomatoes are key here, so make sure you get some good ones! Enjoy!

Whole-Wheat Orzo with Marinated Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Shredded Chicken, and Corn

Marinated Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Shredded Chicken
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces, on the bone
1/2 onion, loosely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, whole
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme

8 oz. whole wheat orzo pasta
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles plus more for garnish
Chopped basil (for garnish)

1) In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, shallots, garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Let it hang out while you do everything else.

2) In a large pot or dutch oven, bring a hefty amount of water to boil. Salt the water generously, and add the chicken, chopped onions, garlic cloves, thyme, and oregano. Boil until chicken is cooked thoroughly, about 30 minutes. Taste along the way to make sure the broth is salted enough.

3) Remove chicken to a large cutting board. Strain the cooking liquid of the onions and garlic, being sure to reserve the liquid. Return about half of the stock to the pot (to cook the orzo) and reserve the rest for a later cooking use.

4) When stock returns to a boil, add the orzo. While the orzo cooks, with two forks, shred the chicken. If you haven't done it before, it's basically like you're using a fork and knife, but with two forks. Also kind of like when you're fighting with someone over the last piece of dessert (but maybe that's just me...) You can also use your fingers if you feel like getting messy.

5) About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, add the corn to blanch it. Drain the corn and orzo together, and mix in the goat cheese until its all melted (it'll look like a thick cream sauce). Add the chicken and tomato mixture and toss until well combined.

6) Garnish with more basil and goat cheese, and devour immediately.



4 servings