Chicken Pasta with White Wine Cream Sauce aka “Adult Mac Cheese”

Take 2 shallots and 5 cloves of garlic.

Peel them, and finely chop.

Cut the zucchini into ¼ inch thick medallions.

Take 4-5 of the zucchini medallions, and cut them into ¼ inch lengthwise strips.

Finish all the medallions, and set aside. You should have a nice pile like this.

Peel the carrots, and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces.

Halve lengthwise.

Slice lengthwise into ¼ inch matchsticks. Some slices will be wider than a ¼ inch. Slice them in half lengthwise so that sticks are all of similar size.

Finish all the carrots, until you have a nice pile of matchsticks. Set aside.

When you are done, there should be similar amounts of zucchini and carrot sticks about the same size. These really help to add colour to the dish, and a great crunch.

Separate the fillet and trim the chicken. With the “show” side down, season with salt and pepper.

Using tongs, turn the pieces over and season the “show” side. If you keep the pieces close together when you are seasoning, you’ll waste less of your salt and pepper. Notice how I have the wide side of one breast paired up with the narrow of the other, kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. The same works with any cut of any kind of meat.

I like to use tongs because you can keep handling the pieces of chicken without having to wash your hands a thousands times.

Fill a large pot of water and set it on the stovetop to boil. Don’t forget to add a tablespoon or two of salt in to season. You’re looking for it to taste like sea water.

Heat a large skillet to high heat. I’m using non-stick pan because that all I had available, but its best if you use stainless steel, to get a great fond on the bottom. (Fond is the lovely layer of brown bits that stick to the pan. They’re jammed packed with flavour.)

Dip your fingers in water and drip them over the pan. When the water sizzles and turns to steam when it hits the pan, you’re ready to go. If it beads up and pops like popcorn, its too hot.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil. When ripples appear in the oil, its ready to go.

Place the chicken, “show side” down. Make sure the pieces have a bit of oil on them to help caramelize, and then leave them alone for 2-4 minutes.

When they’ve got a nice brown crust, turn them over and brown the other side for 2-3 minutes.

Note: The pan will probably be very hot. Watch carefully so that you don’t burn the chicken and turn it down to medium-high heat.

Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board to rest. Its not cooked yet, so don’t try to sneak a piece!

Add the pasta to the water, and give it a stir. Read the guidelines on your pasta, and take it out with one or two minutes before al dente. Its going to continue to cook when it is added to the sauce.

Put the skillet back on the stove at medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Drop in the garlic and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Stir regularly until golden brown.

Add ¾ cup white wine and deglaze the pan. Make sure to scrap up all those tasty brown bits. That’s where all the flavour is. If you have a non-stick pan it will still work, but you will not get as much flavour off the pan.

Pour a glass for yourself too!

Continue to let the sauce simmer and when the liquid has reduced to about a third or a half of what it originally was, add in the chicken stock. Reduce the liquid again to about a third or a half.

I know that a lot of recipes call for the low-sodium chicken broth, but I have yet to encounter a recipe that even with regular chicken stock did not require additionally seasoning. That said, I only use Campbell’s, and other brands might be saltier.

TIP: When you open the carton, write the date on the top of the lid with your Sharpie. These cartons only last 2 weeks, and it’s easy to forget by then when you opened it!

Don’t forget to reserve 1/3 of a cup of the pasta water, and all its starchy goodness!

Using tongs and a sharp knife, slice the chicken into strips.

And into bite-size pieces.

Now you can see that it is raw. Don’t worry, its going back in the sauce to finish. Cooking it in two stages keeps in from drying out.

The pasta should be done by now. Drain and set aside.

Add 1 ¼ cups cream to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the carrots.

Add chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. This is important to finish cooking the chicken. Keep it boiling and stir occasionally over the next two minutes to make sure that the chicken is cooked through.

Stir in half the pasta water you set aside.

Add the pasta, and mix it all together.

Throw the zucchini pieces in and give everything a final stir.

The next couple of minutes are crucial, the pasta will still be cooking and absorbing liquid, this is when the overall creaminess of your dish will be determined. If it is too thick, add remaining pasta water or wine or stock. If it is too thin, let it reduce. If its not rich enough, add more cream and reduce. You be the judge. Just be patient, the pasta will absorb liquid. Check every 30 seconds, give it a mix to see if it’s the way you like it. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Grate up some Parmesan.

Isn’t that looking good?

Sprinkle Parmesan on the top. Serve with a nice glass of the dry wine you used in the sauce. Enjoy!

This recipe is also avaliable on Tasty Kitchen.Printable Version