Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama motto. “Eat well, laugh often, and love much.” That’s what my grandmother used to say while I grew up and I’ve taken it everywhere in life, and today I’m bringing it to you guys. I grew up in a large Italian family, spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother taking notes on all the classic dishes they’d make. But sometimes it’s hard eating homemade Spaghetti alla Matriciana without my trainer punishing me with 500 burpees. So we’re going to take traditional food, utilizing their fresh ingredients, and take classic Italian to a healthy level today using a recipe I just recently stumbled upon. So, without further a due let’s get started!
What you’ll need-
- ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp. of Italian dressing.
- 3 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ Tbsp. of honey
- 1/8 Tsp. of crushed red peppers (or whatever is you’re liking)
- 1 ¼ lbs. of chicken breast tenderloins
- 2 Tbsp. of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb. of fresh asparagus (Look for thinner stalks)
Make sure to trim tough ends, and chop into 2-inch pieces.
- 1 ½ cups of matchstick carrots
- 1 cup of grape tomatoes
Cut into halves.
What you’ll need to do-
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes.
Then, heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet on medium-high heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Afterwards, place chicken evenly into the skillet, cooking for 6-7 minutes, rotating halfway through, continue cooking until thoroughly done.
Chop tomatoes and asparagus.
Add half the dressing into the skillet with chicken. Rotate chicken so it is coated evenly with the dressing.
Once cooked, take chicken and place on platter, leaving sauce in skillet.
Add vegetables into skillet with left over dressing and cook until crispy. This will take about 4 minutes.
Remove vegetables and place with chicken on platter.
Add the remaining amount of dressing into the skillet and cook until thick; this will take about a minute or so. Once done, pour over chicken and veggies.
Now, as my grandmother would say, “Mangia! Mangia!”
Translation- “EAT! EAT!”
(Recipe from cooking classy.com)