Bongo Pasta

This morning while I emptied the dishwasher, I had a beat in my head and a groove to my plate stacking. There were drums, cymbals, and plenty of bass. As I nodded my head along to the rhythm of putting away coffee mugs, it dawned on me that I was rocking out to Julia's Fisher Price bongos. A gift from grandma last weekend, the bongos are Julia's new obsession. She hasn't gotten remotely tired of them yet; her parents, however, have. She slaps the drums and they light up and provide a bass line. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

But Julia's bongo playing has also led to something good: the time to create a new pasta dish. It's kind of like linguine and clams, but without the clams, if that makes sense. Mmm...clams...

This one came together quickly and easily, and John loved it. We'll be making it again, no doubt! One small note though - too much parsley can affect your milk production and lower it, but you'd have to eat a ton of it regularly.

Recipe: Pasta with White Wine and Lemon Sauce

1 pound pasta

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders

olive oil and butter of your choice

3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled

1 lemon

1 bag o' baby spinach

 2 zucchini, chopped up
 3/4 cup white wine
 3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Put the pasta on to boil.

Chicken: can be sauteed or baked. I seasoned and baked mine, and then chopped it into bite-sized chunks (375 for 20-25 mins). Cleanup was easier because it wasn't raw.

In a large skillet, heat a good amount of olive oil with about a tablespoon of safe butter, and toss in the zucchini and garlic. After about 5 mins, add in the spinach and cook until it wilts. Juice the lemon, getting about 1/3-1/2 cup. Add the lemon juice, wine, broth, and parsley and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer a bit.

When the pasta and chicken are done, remove and discard the garlic. Mix everything together in the skillet and add in parm, if you can.