Alex Guarnaschellis Chicken Parmesan With Spaghetti Waffles Food

CHICKEN PARM WAFFLE

Steps:

• For the pasta waffle: Preheat a waffle iron to medium heat.
• Mix eggs, milk, pecorino, salt, black pepper and angel hair pasta in a medium bowl.
• Ladle into waffle iron (this will fit neatly in two 7-inch Belgian waffle compartments) and cook until brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• For the tomato sauce: Blend tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil and salt in a bowl.
• For the batter: Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until slightly foamy, then combine the milk with the whites, whisking constantly. Add lemon juice.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together slightly beaten egg yolks and butter until smooth. Whisk into the milk mixture.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl, then add in thirds to the milk mixture. Adjust consistency with milk as needed to make a thick batter.
• For the chicken tenders: Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 325 degrees F.
• Dunk the chicken pieces in batter.
• Stir together the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, cayenne, black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the batter and coat in the spice mixture.
• Fry the tenders until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
• Heat the cooked tenders on a hot griddle and top with mozzarella, then melt under a lid.
• Spread sauce on the pasta waffles, then top each with some chicken and mozzarella.

CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender, or puree in a regular blender in small batches and return to the pot. You should have about 4 cups sauce.
• Meanwhile, make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 450˚. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow dish. Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley and oregano in a third dish. Lay the chicken on a piece of plastic wrap and cover with another piece of plastic. Pound the chicken on both sides with the flat side of a meat mallet or a skillet until 1/4 inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the eggs, letting the excess drip off, and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
• Set a wire rack on a baking sheet. Heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Carefully add 2 pieces of chicken and cook, gently moving them around in the pan with tongs, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Adjust the heat as needed if the chicken is browning too quickly.) Remove the chicken to the rack to drain. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Transfer the chicken to a clean baking sheet and top each piece with 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 2 slices mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, bubbling and browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain. Warm the remaining tomato sauce (about 2 cups) over low heat. Add the spaghetti and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water; toss, adding more cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Top the chicken with parmesan and basil. Serve with the spaghetti.

BLUSHING ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer until the water cooks out and the garlic becomes tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste with 2 more tablespoons water and cook to "fry" the paste for a minute in the oil, stirring. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook over medium heat until they soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil. Add a generous handful of salt. Bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom, until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta in a large colander.
• Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet and toss to coat with the cream. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to rest for 2 minutes. If too thin, gently warm and reduce over low heat for 1 to 2 additional minutes. If it becomes too thick, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Serve topped with the cheese.