Rocco DiSpirito shares 2 classic dishes from new cookbook 'Everyday Delicious'
See how to make his "Almost Francese" chicken and cavatelli with broccoli rabe.
Chef and cookbook author Rocco DiSpirito is back with a fresh collection of recipes in his 15th title, "Everyday Delicious."
He joined "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to show off two dishes that are easy to make for any occasion, plus tips to recreate the recipes at home with ease.
"There's 10 pastas, a couple of crudos," he said of whats inside his latest cookbook that boasts simplified home cooked meals in about 30 minutes.
Check out his full recipes, as well as kitchen tools and DiSpirito's book to shop below.
Almost Francese Lemon-Caper Chicken
"Basically it's sauteed chicken with a lemon butter sauce -- the secret ingredient is bouillon powder," DiSpirito said of the "umami bomb" that he adds a pinch of after adding back the chicken and cold butter. "I don't do the egg dip here because I actually wanted to eliminate a step, I thought it was messy and complicated."
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Pinch chicken bouillon powder
1 pound pasta, cooked, for serving
Directions
Slice the chicken breasts into cutlets and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour and set aside.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 1 or 2 cutlets, shallow-fry the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Add the chicken stock to the same pan and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, stirring to incorporate them. Cook over medium-high heat to reduce the stock by almost half, about 10 minutes.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and capers. Bring back to a simmer and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chicken, half the parsley and the cold butter. Stir to emulsify.
Serve the chicken and sauce over the pasta and garnish with the remaining parsley.
Chef's tips
- You can purchase chicken cutlets ready to go.
- Salt and pepper goes a long way.
- Chicken stock can be intimidating. I love bouillon powder -- it's really inexpensive and can be good quality.
- Cook cutlets for just 3 minutes per side if thin cutlets, or just until it starts to brown on each side. Finish the chicken in the sauce.
- Lemon juice and zest combined maximizes the aroma and flavor of lemon in the chicken.
- Parsley is an herb that is very versatile in dishes -- not too strong or light, pairs well, and supports the caper and lemon flavors without over powering it.
- Parsley lasts long in fridge. It's a hearty herb.
Mama Nicolina's Cavatelli with Broccoli Rabe & Sweet Sausage
Ingredients
Salt
1 1/2 pounds broccoli rabe
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch of red chili flakes
1 pound cavatelli
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Directions
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling water until fork-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, squeeze out any excess water, chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.
Fill the stockpot with fresh water. Bring to a boil and generously season with salt.
In a deep saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the sausage, breaking it up, until it is lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute until aromatic. Add the broccoli rabe, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer while you cook the pasta.
Add the cavatelli to the boiling water and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside.
Add 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the sausage and broccoli rabe and stir to deglaze. Add the butter and Parmesan and stir until the sauce is emulsified.
Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining 1/4 cup pasta water to thin. Serve garnished with more Parmesan.
Chef's tips
- Pre-blanch the broccoli rabe and then brown it -- this makes it sweeter rather then bitter and makes it more tender too.
- Sweet sausage has fennel which brings sweetness to the dish -- a licorice flavor.
- You can purchase sausage meat out of the casing for easier cooking.
- Garlic and chili flakes give an aromatic flavor.
- Stir butter and Parmesan until sauce is emulsified to a light cream, the consistency of a coffee creamer
- Let the finished dish sit in the pan to marry the sauces together to enhance flavors as the pasta is reducing the liquid in the sauce. Letting it sit is key!
More GMA Kitchen Picks
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Everyday Delicious: 30 Minute(ish) Home-Cooked Meals Made Simple: A Cookbook
The #1 New York Times bestselling author and celebrity chef offers fast and flavorful recipes to help anyone cook like a chef in 30 minutes(ish) or less—every day of the week.
- $22.36
- $32.50
- Amazon
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