Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Sage

Crispy Sage

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• The crispy sage functions as a lovely crunchy element in this dish - a bit like bacon would do (I said a bit like bacon! Not looking to be accused of blasphemy :-)). Personally, I am utterly in love with the crispy sage and would even claim that it can replace meat in certain dishes, such as in a pasta dish - try it for your next "meat-free Monday".
• 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) (fan).
  2. Brush the sage leaves with oil.
  3. Find a baking tray and line it with baking paper.
  4. Place the oiled sage leaves on the baking paper - they should not overlap.
  5. Place the baking tray in the oven.
  6. Bake the sage in the oven until crispy, about 15-20 minutes. They will shrink and become super crispy and deliciously crunchy.
  7. Remove the baking tray from the oven.
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• 1. Find a small bowl.
  2. Grate the lemon zest into the bowl. Avoid grating the white, bitter part of the peel - it is very bitter in taste.
  3. Add lemon juice, oil, and parmesan to the bowl.
  4. Stir to combine.
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• 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
  2. Add the pasta to the boiling water.
  3. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. In this case, it took 10 minutes.
  4. Find a bowl.
  5. Remove the pasta from the pot with a pasta spoon and transfer it to the bowl. According to an Italian, you should never pour the water from the pasta, for example through a colander, as is the custom in many Danish homes.
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• You can prepare the chicken as you prefer, but here I give you my take on two different preparation methods. We begin with the pan-fried chicken, which I assume is the method most people will attempt (I used the next method, and for the seasoned reader, this will come as no surprise).
• Cooking the perfect chicken breast so that it is delicious and juicy might seem like a minor science - many of us get it wrong. Here are a few tips for preparing a good chicken breast on the pan.
• 1. Wrap the chicken breasts in baking paper and place them on a cutting board.
  2. Pound the breasts with a rolling pin or the bottom of a glass until the breasts are of even thickness.
  3. Season them with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Find a pan or sauté pan/pot with a lid.
  5. Add a bit of oil or butter (or a 1:1 mixture of oil and butter - you can also use ghee) to the pan.
  6. Turn the stove to full heat.
  7. Let the fat get hot.
  8. Now place the chicken breasts in the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes.
  9. Then flip the breasts and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
  10. Place the lid on the pan.
  11. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes.
  12. Flip the breasts one last time and remove the pan from the heat.
  13. Let them rest in the pan under the lid for 10 minutes.
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• And now to my pride and joy: Sous vide. With the sous vide method, you get a super delicious and juicy piece of meat, like you have never tasted it before. I gave the chicken 1 hour and 15 minutes at 59 degrees Celsius (138 degrees Fahrenheit). Here is the method for making juicy sous vide chicken breast.
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• 1. Pour the lemon mixture over the pasta in the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly.
  2. Slice the chicken breasts into 1½-2 cm thick slices.
  3. Divide the pasta onto plates and place the chicken on top.
  4. Finally, sprinkle the crispy sage over the dish.
  5. Serve.
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