Aubergine lemon linguini with chicken

[A healthy fusion pasta dish]

Entertaining is a form of art, albeit a tad challenging. You ought to present something completely innovative (from the guest's point of view) yet at the same time quite effortless to put together (from the host's point of view). Friends who have been invited over for dinner might know that one of my star dish repertoire is this aubergine lemon linguini with chicken.

This pasta dish combines a few distinctive spices like lemon zest and ginger, yet blends them so well into a flavorsome meal, completely balanced on the healthy diet scale. If you eyeball the ingredients and cooking directions below, you might notice a Mediterranean-Asian fusion thread. Happy entertaining!

Aubergine lemon linguini with chicken

1 aubergine/eggplant cut into 4 or 8 parts length-wise and subsequently into quarter-inch thick 'triangle' wedges.
Half a chicken breast thinly sliced across the grain into strips
Kikkoman soy sauce
2 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoon finely diced onion
1 clove ginger minced
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Durum wheat linguini cooked al dente

Marinate chicken strips with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and a dash of pepper and salt. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

Put water to boil for pasta. Once water is boiled, add salt, and wait for water to reboil again. Add linguini. (If your pasta requires 11 minutes to cook, you could coincide cooking time so that both are done at the same time.)

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on hot skillet and add onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté for one minute and add chicken. Stir-fry on high fire till cooked for a few minutes and add aubergine. Cook on high fire for 3 minutes till softened, while adding pepper, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, tarragon, in between.

Once aubergine is medium-soft, add cooked chicken, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon pasta liquid and simmer covered for 2 minutes.

Combine cooked pasta with lemon juice. Arrange aubergine chicken on top and serve. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with pepper.

*This is an entry for Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Melissa at Cooking Diva.