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Cheddar and Fig Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Pappardelle

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

CHICKEN

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 tbsp fig preserves (sub apricot jam if you can't find fig preserves, it's just as delicious
  • 4 slices aged white cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp thyme (fresh is best, but dried works just fine)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

PASTA

  • 1/2 lb pappardelle pasta, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch of swiss chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Instructions
 

  • Start the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut through each chicken breast horizontally until almost all the way through, like a book. Spread each breast with 1 tbsp fig preserves and a slice of cheddar. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme, and fold up again.  Season the outside again with salt and pepper. 
    Heat a pan over high heat, add a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, and sear each chicken breast until golden, about 2 minutes a side.  Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the juices run clear. 
    While the chicken is in the oven, start your pasta sauce.  Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add a tbsp of olive oil and the onion, sautéing a few minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper, then add the Swiss chard.  Add the chicken stock, bringing it up to a bubble and then lowering to a simmer.  Add the lemon zest and juice, then the cream.  Let it thicken for a few minutes, then season with more salt and pepper to taste and the red pepper flakes.  Stir in the freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and the basil. 
    Boil pappardelle until al dente, reserving a cup of pasta water in case you need to thin out your pasta sauce.  Fold the hot pasta into the sauce. 
    Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and deglaze the pan with some more chicken stock or water over medium-high heat on the stove, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan until a sauce starts to form.  Let it simmer and thicken a little bit.  Slice the chicken breasts and drizzle with the sauce.  Add a little more freshly grated parmigiano on top.