Olive Garden's Chicken Giardino

By MichaelH

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp dry thyme
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic pepper
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chicken:
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced width-wise into 1/2” strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small rosemary sprigs
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Vegetables:
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 bunch fresh asparagus (remove bottom inch of stem; cut remainder into 1” pieces)
• 1 zucchini, julienne cut
• 1 yellow summer squash, julienne cut
• 2 roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienne cut
• 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup spinach, cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1/2 cup carrots, julienne cut
• 1 lb farfalle pasta (bow ties), cooked according to package directions

Preparation

Step 1

Sauce Preparation:

MELT butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in thyme, garlic pepper and rosemary. Whisk to thoroughly blend and cook for 1 minute.

COMBINE chicken broth, water, wine, milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and whisk until cornstarch has dissolved and there are no lumps
.
ADD liquid mixture to sauce pan. Whisk all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.

Chicken & Vegetables Preparation:

COMBINE all chicken ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well.
MARINATE for 30 minutes

HEAT a saute pan over medium high heat. Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil.

SAUTE chicken strips until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

ADD all vegetables and sauté until cooked through.

ADD cooked, drained pasta and sauce to sauté pan. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce.

TRANSFER to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.