Tromping through the deep snow surrounding our house, I marvel at our garden's shadowy outline under the thick Michigan blanket of snow. Surprisingly, I observe some delicate leaves on my sage bush are still fragrant, intact and a lovely faded green.

There is something quite poignant about a bush so resilient. I plucked some leaves hoping that savoring this resilience in tonight's dinnerFeed will lend us extra strength to get through the Michigan winter.

The flavors of proscuitto, lemon and sage are wonderful together, sautéed chicken tenders pull them together deliciously. De Cecco makes an excellent whole grain spaghetti which has an earthy flavor and texture, creating the perfect foil for this full-flavored dish.

Yield: 3-4 servings Time: 30 minutes Cost: apx. $7.50

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast tenders, each tender sliced lengthwise into 2-3 strips* 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice 3- tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 8 ounces dry pasta 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, plus extra sprigs for garnish 1/2-1 ounces proscuitto, fat removed and thinly sliced Parmigianno Reggiano

*Sliced chicken breast may be substituted.

Directions

1. Lightly season chicken strips with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Marinate chicken strips in dressing 20 minutes. 2. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta according to package directions. 3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for a minute. Add chicken tenders and marinade and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. In last minute of cooking time, stir in sage and proscuitto. 4. Remove chicken from pan and add stir pasta into pan juices, adding more olive oil and lemon juice to pasta, if desired. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 5.Garnish with sage leaves and Parmesan, as desired.