Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Pasta Food

CREAMY CHICKEN AND ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PASTA WITH SPINACH AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• To make the chicken: Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil over chicken and toss to coat. Season both sides of chicken with kosher salt, black pepper and McCormick's Cajun seasoning. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken, making sure not to crowd the pan (cook in two batches if needed), and cook for 3 minutes, then turn chicken and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer it to a plate and set aside to make the sauce. Scrape up any burnt or severely browned chicken bits from the bottom of the pan and discard.
• To make the sauce: Using the same pan, add the olive oil and the butter. Add in the shallots, stir and cook until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30-seconds. Sprinkle flour on top, stir and scrape the pan until a paste-like texture appears, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, add the milk and whisk until well blended. Add the cheese and stir constantly until cheese is fully melted. Stir in the cajun seasoning garlic powder, onion powder and kosher salt, whisk until blended. Turn off heat and remove pan from the stove top. (Sauce will be appear thin at this point, but will thicken as it cools. Don't be tempted to add more cheese of flour, or else the sauce will be too thick once the pasta and spinach is added).
• To assemble: Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Add the chicken and pasta and toss to coat. Garnish with sun-dried tomatoes and chives. Serve immediately.
• To roast the cauliflower: Heat oven to 395 degrees F. Trim and slice cauliflower into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place slices onto a baking sheet and toss drizzle about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper toss to coat. Bake until cauliflower starts to caramelize at the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes.

CREAMY CHICKEN-CAULIFLOWER PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add cauliflower; cook and stir 5 min. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm. Add chicken, in batches, to skillet; cook 3 min. or until evenly browned, stirring frequently. Return all chicken and cauliflower to skillet; cover. Cook on medium-low heat 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1-1/2 cups cooking water. Return pasta to pan; stir in reserved water and Singles. Cook on medium heat 2 min. or until Singles are completely melted and sauce is well blended. Add to chicken mixture in skillet with mozzarella; cook 2 min. or until mozzarella is melted, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan.

CREAMY PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Place cauliflower into a large pot of salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove cauliflower with a strainer, reserving the cooking water in the pot.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and red pepper flakes; saute until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add heavy cream; cook until reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the cauliflower cooking water back to a boil. Add farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• Add tomatoes to the cauliflower sauce; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese to the cauliflower sauce; cook and stir until melted, about 1 minute more.
• Combine pasta and sauce; toss until well coated. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese to serve.