Pasta with Mascarpone, Chicken, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Spinach #19

Michael loves Mascarpone cheese and I'm always on the lookout for recipes with Mascarpone. 

The case:

1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese At Room Temperature

Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cleaned Of Fat And Cut Into 1 Inch Dice

1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced

Salt & Pepper

1/3 Cup Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 (9 Ounce) Bag Baby Spinach 

1 (500 Gram) Package Pasta

To Serve:

Sauteed Garlic Breadcrumbs or

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano/ Pecorino Cheese

Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, and pepper in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Bring a pasta pot of salted water to boil. While waiting on the water, heat the oil in a skillet, and cook the chicken until it is cooked through and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, and set over medium heat. Stir in the mascarpone and lemon mixture, the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Loosen the sauce with about 1/4 cup of the water and toss all over the ingredients together until the spinach has wilted and everything is piping hot, adding a little additional pasta water if needed. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese or sauteed breadcrumbs.

 

The ruling: 
This way okay, but nothing special.  I liked the sauce more than I liked the rest of the ingredients with the sauce.  I won't be making this again.  

Smoky Chicken Pasta #86

I love one dish meals, and pasta is my favorite type of one dish meal.  I've had this recipe bookmarked for awhile.  It came from the blog, Plain Chicken.

The case:

Ingredients:
8 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 - 1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (I used half & half and 1 Tbsp of flour)
2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 c. butter (I used 5 Tbsp)
1/2 lb. bacon, crumpled
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 bottle (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

Directions:
Put chicken and marinade in the crock pot on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter (and flour), add garlic, whipping cream, basil, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

The ruling:
I LOVED the sauce for this, but the chicken flavor didn't do much for me.  Overall this was very good; it's still going on my favorites list.  The white sauce overpowered the chicken flavor.  My favorite chicken in pasta recipes has been simply chicken breast sprinkled with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs, and grilled on the stove top.  I will be making this again, sooner rather than later, using a different type of chicken. 

I did make the sauce a little differently than listed.  First I melted the butter over low heat.  Then I added the basil, pepper, half and half, garlic, 1 Tablespoon flour, and double the Parmesan cheese over medium  heat.  After the cheese melted,  I turned the eye up to medium high and whisked constantly until the mixture came to a boil.  Then I lowered the temperature to lo and continued to stir while adding the bacon. 

Pasta Carbonara #63

Once upon a time, I thought pasta (well pasta sauces) would be the hardest things to make.  Early on in my marriage I found a fettuccine alfredo recipe on allrecipes.com.  About a year later I finally made it and I still do today.   I just couldn't believe that amazing sauce in the restaurants was simply made from cream, butter, and cheese.  Now, pasta is one of my favorite dishes to make at home.  One pot meals always make life easier, plus it's really hard to mess up!

The case:

Ingredients
1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream at room temperature
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped parsley
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
In medium bowl beat together eggs and cream just until blended. Stir in cheese and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan. Toss with butter until it is melted. Add bacon and cheese mixture and toss gently until mixed.

The ruling:
Oh my!  This is officially my 2nd.... maybe even tied for first... favorite pasta recipe.  I've never made anything like this before, and I have to admit I felt a little funny about pouring the raw eggs over the noodles.  I checked the directions twice to make sure you weren't supposed to cook it anymore, but as far as I can tell everything is completely cooked!  This was so simple and quick.  I'm amazed at the amount of flavor.  I added salt and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese on top.  Try this!

Printable Version

Penne with Creamy Garlic Sauce #7 1-16-10

One of my favorite things is the world is pasta with cream sauce!

The case:

Ingredients
1 (1 lb) package penne rigate
2 tablespoons butter (I also add 2 tbsp olive oil)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup chicken or beef broth
3/4 cup milk or light cream
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I use more)

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter; add garlic (I add the extra olive oil now).
3. Cook over medium heat 1 minute.
4. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in broth and milk or cream.
6. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce boils and thickens.
7. Add parsley, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
8. Toss hot pasta with sauce; serve immediately.

The ruling:
I put a lot more Parmesan than this called for. I also had cheaper cheese, so I'm sure this would be dynamite with better quality cheese. Nonetheless, this was still delicious! It was especially good with the balsamic juice from the chicken. A perfect quick side dish.