Rosemary Chicken Breasts with Brown Butter-Balsamic Ravioli

Happy hump day readers! Sorry if this phrase just implanted a giant annoying camel from a certain advertisement in your brain. I, unfortunately, am right there with you. Do you know what I absolutely hate? Waiting for food. When I'm hungry I am REALLY hungry and the last thing I want is to cook for hours and hours before eating.


Allow me to break down my schedule for you:


6:30 - up and attem'!
7:30-7:40 - out the door and to work
8:00-5:00 - work, work, work, work, work, work
5:15 - survive the traffic jam on the way to the gym with minimal road rage
5:30-6:30 - working on my fitness


So as you can probably guess, by 6:35 I just want to eat and relax. Yes, one way I relax is to cook but when I'm ravenous and telling myself that "yes, while the chocolate chips in my pantry look and sound delicious I'll spoil my dinner," I'm quite the opposite of relaxed. I'm sure at this point you're asking yourself "where is this story going? I read her blog for the delicious recipes and occasionally humorous anecdotes not to hear her complain about how hard her life is." I'm getting to it! Are you ready? Have you stopped reading yet? Ok, here goes: THANK GOD FOR RACHAEL RAY.


Rachael was my very first culinary icon, well aside from my Italian grandfather anyway. She was brilliant, she was real, she was accessible and let's face it; who doesn't want a whole meal you can cook in 30 minutes?


I recently just received my first Rachael Ray cookbook from my nephew. I was presented with this cookbook because he saw it at a yard sale and thought I should have it. Is that the sweetest story ever or what? My nephew didn't know that my freshman year of high school I wrote an essay about the celebrity I admire most and I chose Rachael; he didn't know that I loved her coined terms like "EVOO", "sammies" and her genius "garbage bowl"; he was too young at the time to remember me recording every episode of "40-Dollars-A-Day" or "30-Minute Meals" that was scheduled to air on the Cooking Channel. It's almost like it was fate that he presented me with Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals Get Togethers. Or maybe I'm putting too much stock into a sweet gesture by a truly spectacular kid.


Either way, last night I made Rosemary Chicken Breasts with Brown Butter-Balsamic Ravioli and I enjoyed every second of making and eating it. This recipe came from the date night section of the cookbook so it was perfect for 2 people, there was even a little extra for Nate to take to lunch today.


Rosemary Chicken Breasts with Brown Butter-Balsamic Ravioli

The chicken:


2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I personally love vinegar so I used more like 2-3 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, skins removed and smashed with the back of a knife.


Season chicken with salt and pepper, pour vinegar, olive oil and rosemary leaves. Mix the chicken to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.


After the chicken is marinated, cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat with the garlic cloves for 5-6 minutes per side until the juices run clear, turning occasionally. The balsamic vinegar almost becomes a crust on the chicken.


The ravioli:


1 package ravioli, any filling (Rachael recommends fresh ravioli but Aldi had frozen Four Cheese Ravioli on sale this week. I COULDN'T SAY NO TO SAVINGS! Sorry, Rach.)
3 Tbsp butter cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls Parmigianino-Reggiano (I failed you again, Rach. Plain ole' parmesan was on sale.)
1/4 C fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper


Cook ravioli according to package instructions.


When the chicken is about halfway done, place the butter in a cold pot (large enough for all the ravioli to fit in once it's cooked). Turn the heat up to medium. Rachael says that it is important to put the butter in a cold pot because it will ensure the butter will begin to brown around the same time the chicken is done. Wow! Rachael thinks of everything!


Once the ravioli is cooked and the butter is browned, toss to marry the two. Now add in the 2 Tbsp vinegar and let cook for 1-2 minutes. The vinegar becomes syrupy and thick and sticks to the ravioli like a cheap suit. Season with salt and pepper, add in the cheese and parsley and voila! A delicious meal to be had.


This dish was awesome! The chicken had an almost crisp exterior and a juicy interior, with the wonderful earthiness of rosemary and the acidity from the vinegar. Goodness my mouth is watering just remembering it! I have to stop before there's a pool of saliva on my keyboard.


Happy Wednesday, readers! Hang in there! We're halfway home!