Bow Ties with Chicken and Mushrooms
The Spaghetti Sauce Gourmet Copyright 2006
12 ounces bow-tie pasta I used Smart Taste rotini
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 2-inch long strips I used chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cremini or white mushrooms I sliced them, I'm not sure if I was supposed to or not
1 tablespoon preminced oil-packed garlic I used regular jarred garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup dry white wine or sherry I used sherry
1 ½ cups refrigerated or jarred alfredo sauce I used light alfredo sauce, an entire jar
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley I used some dried
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook until mushrooms begin to release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, scraping the pan bottom, until liquid is almost gone, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the Alfredo sauce and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta mix with ½ cup of the sauce to moisten Divide among the pasta plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Scatter on the remaining parsley.
Makes 4 servings.
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I had a bottle of light Alfredo sauce that bought on a whim thinking it would make a quick dinner. I also had mushrooms that I bought for another recipe that never got made. This seemed like a good recipe to make use of those ingredients. All of the other items I needed are staples.
I made this ahead of time so the pasta absorbed most of the sauce by the time I photographed it. The flavor was still there, it just wasn't as creamy as it should have been, as it was when it was fresh. I should have kept the pasta and sauce separate until we ate this but I had a million things going on in the kitchen on Sunday. Is it worth losing the creamy sauce to cook ahead? I'd have to say yes. As much as I felt put out doing all of that cooking on Sunday, it's been a dream to come home and just heat up dinner all week.
Well it's been snowing and sleeting so we'll be home today. Maybe I can catch up with life a bit. There's more than a day's worth of catching up to do though.
Question of the Day: Do you use other jarred pasta sauces besides your basic tomato sauces? I rarely do. Sometimes I use a white sauce for pizza. I was on a pesto kick a few years ago but I avoid that now as we avoid all nuts (I know, pine nuts are a seed but until my son is old enough to understand the nuances, we are a bit more strict in what we avoid).
I rarely use jar sauce - not even tomato, preferring to make my own. The other day, however on a whim I grabbed a jar of red wine sauce on sale near the register, it was one of the best sauces I have ever had. I wish I had bought them all! I do, in a pinch, like Barilla sauces.
ReplyDeleteI rarely make my own pasta sauce and I rarely use jarred. I tend to buy the refrigerated stuff that comes in a tub. Otherwise, pasta sauce to us is just some olive oil, a little butter and garlic.
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