Spicy Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Piccata Stuffed Cacio e Pepe Tacos
Overview
A crispy outer cheese shell holds the spicy sun dried tomato chicken goodness inside. Our test kitchen loved the combination of the bright lemon and caper flavors toned down by the robust sun dried tomato bruschetta salad mix. A fun Mediterranean twist on a southwest flavor these tacos will be the highlight of your next taco Tuesday.
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Bella Products Used:
Bruschetta with Italian Basil Sun Dried Tomato and Extra Virgin Olive Oil 8.5 oz.
Bella Sun Luci California Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil 16.9 FL OZ
Sun Dried Tomatoes with Italian Basil Julienne-Cut (Resealable Pouch)
Ingredients
Salad Filling
- 3 tbsp Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta
- 1 tbsp high quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp minced shallot
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ c packed chopped romaine
- 1 ½ c packed chopped baby spinach
Chicken and Tomato Taco Filling
- 1 ½ oz Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes with Basil Julienne Cut
- 2 c hot water
- 1 lb thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded and cut into 1 inch strips
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tsp flour
- 3 tsp butter
- 2 tsp Bella Sun Luci Arbequina Olive Oil
- 5 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp crushed Calabrian chilis in oil
- ⅛ tsp garlic paste
- 3 tbsp mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp rinsed capers
Cacio e Pepe Taco Shells
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Chopped parsley and basil leaves with lemon wedges for serving.
Directions
Salad Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix bruschetta, vinegar, lemon juice and zest, shallot, and salt. Mixture will be fairly thick. Mix in lettuce and spinach, scraping the bottom and sides, until all greens are coated. Set aside.
Chicken and Tomato Filling
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the sun dried tomatoes and hot water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain the liquid off the tomatoes, reserving 3-4 tablespoons of the tomato water. Coarsely chop the rehydrated tomatoes and set aside.
- Lightly season the chicken with salt and dredge in flour. Next, in a large skillet bring butter and olive oil to medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces in the hot skillet, rotating sides as needed, or until golden colored, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat, transfer chicken to a plate then coarsely chop. Set aside and cover the chicken to keep warm.
- In the same skillet, add the reserved tomato water to the remaining brown bits in the skillet over medium low heat and scrape the bottom of the pan. Add softened tomatoes, lemon juice, zest, Calabrian chilis, garlic, mascarpone, and capers, and mix well over heat until it mixture begins to bubble. Return chicken to pan and toss to coat the chicken. Keep warm until taco shells are cooked.
Taco Shells
- Mix cheeses and black pepper in a bowl. Divide into 8 equal portions, roughly 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture.
- Heat a large, non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-high heat and coat heavily with non-stick cooking spray. Working in batches of 2-3 evenly spread the cheese portions in the skillet, each in a 4-5 inch circle, about 2 inches apart. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned and crispy on bottom.
- Lift with a large spatula and place on a baking rack, cooked side down. Repeat until all are cooked.
- Divide the salad mixture among the center of the taco shells folding slightly, and repeat with the chicken-tomato filling on top. Garnish with parsley and basil then serve with lemon wedges to squeeze on just before eating if desired.
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