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Everyone likes a pretty plate, and my Italian-baked chicken with asparagus is no exception, if I do say so myself. I created it as modified version of spaghetti, originally using brown rice and quinoa spaghetti noodles. It has become a go-to meal when entertaining guests for dinner. And, for eating grain-free keto, I’ve replaced the high-carb grain noodles with zero-carb, grain-free shirataki noodles. This dish has an especially colorful palette that pairs well with holiday season. And, the way it’s prepared gives it a gourmet characteristic.

As a designer, I’ve always had a love for color and textures. And, I guess you could say this dish pairs that passion into my food. Other than the sauce, each ingredient is layered on top of the previous. So when you bite into it, you get a spiced-up bite of seasoned chicken; a blend of homemade tomato- and basil-based sauce; the slight crunch of whole sautéed spears of asparagus; and then finally the simplicity of soft noodles. Had each ingredient been combined into one saucepan, each flavor and texture wouldn’t be as distinguishable.

I have categorized preparation of this dish as moderately difficult, as three separate items will be prepared nearly all at once: Italian-baked chicken; homemade pasta sauce warming in a saucepan; and asparagus being sautéed in another, with the two latter items finishing near the end of your chicken’s bake time.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we have, with guests in your home or not. If you get a chance to try my recipe, please leave a friendly comment or rating below. I’d love to get your feedback and appreciate your support, as I provide this site nearly ad free!

Macro information will be coming soon.

Italian-Baked Chicken with Asparagus

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by J. Irish, Ketolicious Eats Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Moderately Difficult

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Baking time

minutes

Spice up your typical spaghetti meal you can share with guests during the holidays, or any other season. Full of festive color and healthy ingredients, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this healthful homemade dish!

Ingredients

Meat & Marinade Ingredients (Prepared a Day in Advance)
4 pieces 4 organic boneless and skinless free-range chicken breasts
4 tablespoons 4 Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons 2 paprika powder
2 teaspoons 2 cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 black pepper
Sauce Ingredients
1/2 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 small 1 onion, diced
6 medium 6 -sized mushrooms, sliced
35 ounces 35 shirataki spaghetti noodles–The best pricing for shirataki noodles is through Thrive Market’s Auto Ship & Save program. Get up to $20 in a shopping credit when you purchase a Thrive Market membership.
1 cup 1 organic passata (tomato puree), found in a bottle rather than canned
1 package 1 fresh organic basil
1-1/2 tablespoons 1-1/2 organic Italian seasoning
4 4 organic Roma tomatoes, diced into 1″ chunks
1 bag 1 organic spinach, chopped.
1 teaspoon 1 organic garlic, minced
1-1/2 tablespoon 1-1/2 avocado oil for sautéing
Sautéd or Steamed Ingredients
1 bunch 1 organic asparagus spears, with 1″ cut off the thickest end
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 organic ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon 1/4 Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 garlic, minced
1-1/2 tablespoons 1-1/2 avocado oil for sautéing
Other
1/4-1/2 cup 1/4-1/2 organic extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over the top of each plate prior to serving, optional
raw parmesan cheese, grated, for leaving out on the dinner table

Directions

Preparing the Chicken
In a medium to large Pyrex casserole dish, mix together the meat marinade spices, and add your chicken breasts. Coat each chicken breast with the spices and store in the refrigerator over night.
When you’re ready to begin prepping veggies for your dinner, remove from the refrigerator about an hour before baking . You won’t be putting this in the oven until the last 30 minutes of cooking up your pasta sauce.
Veggie Preparation (Cutting & Chopping)
After you’ve washed and diced your veggies, and you may do this the night before, if you’re having dinner guests. It will save you time to run around and do other things to prepare for your guests.
I like to put the washed spears of asparagus into a large covered sauté pan and leave them in it until I’m ready to sauté. If they’re still a little wet from washing that is fine. The water will help the asparagus soften while cooking.
Cooking the Noodles
Prepare the noodles as instructed on the packaging. When you have finished cooking the noodles and drained them, put them back into the saucepan (uncovered) on medium low heat to cook off the excess water. This may take about 20 minutes. You may turn off the burner when the water has cooked off and cover them so that they don’t become too cold.
Making Your Pasta Sauce
In a medium to large 5-quart saucepan, sauté your onions and mushrooms first on medium heat.
As you sauté your onions and mushrooms, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Then add the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the spinach and basil, for your sauce. You may now turn your heat down to medium low. You’ll just let the diced tomatoes get soft while the flavors combine, and wait for the sauce to warm. This may take up to 30 minutes.

Transitional Steps
Now, go ahead and begin baking your chicken. Set your timer for 15 minutes. When the buzzer goes off, you’ll just flip your chicken breasts over, and allow the remaining side to bake another 15 minutes before removing from the oven.

Then, during this last 15 minutes of baking the chicken, you’ll start cooking/sautéing the asparagus. See Begin Sautéing Your Asparagus below. The asparagus and the sauce may very well be the last two items you’re preparing when you finish cooking this meal so that everything still remains hot when served.
While in your last five to 10 minutes of your chicken baking, throw in your saucepan the fresh chopped spinach and most of your basil. (You’ll use the remaining basil to garnish your plates.) Adding the spinach and basil here will allow the color of the herbs to darken (think Christmas tree green here) some when wilted and flavorful, yet will cook enough so that they don’t completely overpower your sauce. Continue cooking the sauce until the chicken is done baking.
Begin Sautéing Your Asparagus
When your sauce looks like it’s getting warm, begin sautéing the asparagus on medium heat with the pan covered for about 10 minutes. Any remaining water will help steam through the asparagus. This will help soften the stalks. When it looks like the color of the asparagus has changed from a lighter green to a darker green but not soggy in texture, remove the top over the pan. This will allow any remaining liquid to escape, and I can create a light crisp texture from sautéing right before plating. This may take about five minutes.

Note: If you continue to sauté these too long, all the water will cook out of the asaparagus, and you’ll end up with fiberous stalks that are not easy to eat or chew. I needed to practice at finding the right time to remove the lid off the asparagus and begin actually sautéing. If this sounds tricky, you may just steam your asparagus, leaving the saucepan covered during the entire time cooking.
Final Stretch
When your chicken has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to sit out for about five minutes to cool. Then, cut the breasts into slices, leaving them in your casserole dish until you’re ready to plate. The chicken should still be warm when served. If you’re not done with the other steps for some reason, lightly cover your chicken with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
Now, begin layering your plates. Start with your shirataki noodles, then a portion of your asparagus spears, then your sauce, and then the chicken nicely laid over the top. Then garnish with the remaining basil.
The final step is offering up to your guests some extra olive oil and/or raw grated parmesan cheese to put on top of their entree, and serve. Buon appetito!