Post by Loupy on Feb 27, 2015 18:06:04 GMT -7
Creamy Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
From: Kevin Lynch @ www.closetcooking.com/
You really can't go wrong with a creamy sauce packed with the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes but this pasta takes things a step further with the addition on plenty of melted cheese including both fresh mozzarella, which only adds to the creaminess, and parmesan! This recipe is super easy and it only takes as much time to make as it takes to bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta! You start off by cooking the chicken, de-glazing the pan with some white wine, adding some broth and cream along with the sun-dried tomatoes and cheese and you're done! Other than tweaking the recipe I made one important addition and that was to add some roasted grape or cherry tomatoes for their juiciness and acidity which complements and contrasts the creaminess of the pasta perfectly! As simple as this dish is it's so wonderfully tasty that words just cannot describe how good it is, you really just have to try it!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces pasta
1 tablespoon oil (I use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
1 tablespoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup basil, julienned
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.
(The sauce should be done before the pasta is finished cooking and when the pasta is done al-dante, drain it reserving some of the cooking water.)
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until lightly golden brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the wine and deglaze the pan before adding the broth and cream and brining everything to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, let the pan cool, mozzarella, parmesan and dried basil, and stir until the cheese melts, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat season with salt and pepper to taste, mix in the pasta along with enough of the reserved pasta water to make a nice and creamy sauce before, adding the fresh basil.
Option: Replace the cream with half and half for a lighter version.
Note: Both mozzarella and half and half will curdle (separate and form little white bits rather than being a smooth sauce) at high temperatures so you need to reduce the heat before adding them to the pan. The heavy/whipping cream will not curdle in this sauce at the higher temperatures.
Option: Add roasted cherry or grape tomatoes, by roasting them in a heavy bottom pan until they blister and char, about 5-7 minutes, for the contrasting juiciness and acidity.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories 662
Fat 27.5g
Saturated 12.2g
Cholesterol 200mg
Sodium 638mg
Carbs 36.4g
Fiber 5g
Sugars 11g
Protein 64.6g
From: Kevin Lynch @ www.closetcooking.com/
You really can't go wrong with a creamy sauce packed with the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes but this pasta takes things a step further with the addition on plenty of melted cheese including both fresh mozzarella, which only adds to the creaminess, and parmesan! This recipe is super easy and it only takes as much time to make as it takes to bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta! You start off by cooking the chicken, de-glazing the pan with some white wine, adding some broth and cream along with the sun-dried tomatoes and cheese and you're done! Other than tweaking the recipe I made one important addition and that was to add some roasted grape or cherry tomatoes for their juiciness and acidity which complements and contrasts the creaminess of the pasta perfectly! As simple as this dish is it's so wonderfully tasty that words just cannot describe how good it is, you really just have to try it!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces pasta
1 tablespoon oil (I use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
1 tablespoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup basil, julienned
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.
(The sauce should be done before the pasta is finished cooking and when the pasta is done al-dante, drain it reserving some of the cooking water.)
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until lightly golden brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes per side.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the wine and deglaze the pan before adding the broth and cream and brining everything to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, let the pan cool, mozzarella, parmesan and dried basil, and stir until the cheese melts, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat season with salt and pepper to taste, mix in the pasta along with enough of the reserved pasta water to make a nice and creamy sauce before, adding the fresh basil.
Option: Replace the cream with half and half for a lighter version.
Note: Both mozzarella and half and half will curdle (separate and form little white bits rather than being a smooth sauce) at high temperatures so you need to reduce the heat before adding them to the pan. The heavy/whipping cream will not curdle in this sauce at the higher temperatures.
Option: Add roasted cherry or grape tomatoes, by roasting them in a heavy bottom pan until they blister and char, about 5-7 minutes, for the contrasting juiciness and acidity.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories 662
Fat 27.5g
Saturated 12.2g
Cholesterol 200mg
Sodium 638mg
Carbs 36.4g
Fiber 5g
Sugars 11g
Protein 64.6g
