Indulge In Philicity Reeken’s 'Be My Valentine' Pasta This Month Of Love

South African radio personality Philicity Reeken doesn’t just brighten up the mornings of so many around the country as part of Jacaranda FM’s Breakfast With Martin Bester team, but she’s also an avid foodie and loves to get creative in the kitchen when she’s got a little bit of time in between her busy day.

For Philicity, food is love and one way she loves expressing her affection and admiration for those close to her. It’s why every Valentine’s Day, she doesn’t hold back when it comes to the effort that makes a delicious meal. “The time and effort to make a meal says ‘I love you’,” the Jacaranda FM presenter explains. “It’s evident in the herbed butter rubbed under the grilled and bubbling chicken skin or the way you slice the onion wafer thin and chop the anchovy into bits that are just right, that give the perfect mouthful – that’s romantic!”

One dish that never fails Philicity is what she has dubbed her ‘Be My Valentine’ pasta – a delicious and creamy chicken pasta dish that is both easy to make and is bound to impress your date this month of love.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs at room temperature
• 1 head of broccoli cut in medium pieces.
• A cup of sundried tomatoes
• 300ml of cream
• 200ml of chicken stock
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 packet of spaghetti
• Thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• Oil
• A splash of white wine.
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• A handful of Parmesan cheese
• Parsley

Method:

1) Take out the chicken thighs from the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature before seasoning both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
2) Brown the chicken in a little bit of oil and remove from the pan.
3) In the same pan add the chopped onion, some fresh thyme and bay leaf to fry a little. Once the onion has become translucent, add in a drop of wine to deglaze the pan.
4) Add in the sundried tomatoes, garlic and broccoli and fry the vegetables before adding in the cream.
5) Add the chicken thighs back into the pan skin side up and add a little chicken stock if it looks a little dry.
6) Cook in the oven for 40 minutes at 160°.
7) For the pasta, boil your spaghetti and in a pot, add olive oil and fry one clove of garlic. Add the juice and zest of one lemon and some parmesan cheese before adding the al dente pasta to finish cooking in the sauce. Garnish with some parsley.
8) Once the chicken is cooked, garnish with some basil leaves and enjoy.

Listen to Philicity Reeken on ‘Breakfast With Martin Bester’ every weekday between 06:00 and 09:00 on Jacaranda FM.