Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce With Chicken And Balsamic Mushrooms Food

CREAMY TUSCAN TOMATO PASTA WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• Chop chicken into bite sized pieces.
• Brown chicken in oil in a deep frying pan, set aside and keep warm.
• Fry onion and garlic in oil until soft and fragrant.
• Chop semi-dried tomatoes and olives into small pieces, add to onion and garlic.
• Add can of tomatoes, lemon juice and white wine.
• Mix in dried Italian spices, salt and pepper and chili flakes.
• When pasta is done add to tomato sauce with the chicken.
• Stir in cream and warm through, do not boil.

CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE FOR PASTA

Steps:

• Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until plumped up, about 30 minutes.
• Pour mushrooms and soaking liquid into a coffee filter or fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Save soaking liquid for sauce. Rinse rehydrated mushrooms well to remove any grit, then coarsely chop.
• Add butter to a large, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When butter has melted, add parsley and garlic; stir to combine. Stir in chopped mushrooms. Moisten the mixture with a few tablespoons reserved soaking water. Cook, stirring a few times, until the moisture has largely evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Add cream and wine and stir to combine. Cook at barely a simmer until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• Mince garlic cloves in food processor or blender. Add 1/3 of the basil leaves to the processor, and chop until fine. Pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil, and continue to process until mixture turns light yellow with flecks of basil. Add the balsamic vinegar; process just until combined.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large zip-top storage bag along with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the contents of the food processor. Squeeze air out of bag and seal. Allow chicken to marinate for 2 hours, or up to overnight, turning occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Brown chicken in a large skillet over large heat, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large baking dish, and place in the oven until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, slice into 1/4 inch strips, and return to baking dish to absorb cooking juices. Keep warm.
• While chicken is baking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Boil the pasta until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well. Stir the chicken and the juices from the baking dish into the hot pasta.
• Thinly slice the remaining basil leaves, and place in a large serving bowl along with the tomatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top basil and tomatoes with the hot pasta, sauce, and chicken; toss to combine.

DRUNKEN TUSCAN PASTA

Steps:

• Pour the entire bottle of wine into a large pan; add water and fill the pot up as you would to cook pasta.
• Bring the wine and water to a boil over high heat.
• When the liquids boil, add salt and the pasta; cook to al dente. (you will use some of the cooking liquid later).
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; then chop and add the pancetta.
• Brown the pieces until they are golden at the edges and transfer them to a paper-towel lined plate.
• Add the mushrooms to the olive oil in the same skillet; season with rosemary; cook 6-8 minutes until deeply golden.
• Push the mushrooms to the sides of the skillet; add in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for a minute or so, then toss the mushrooms together with the garlic.
• Add the greens to the pan; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• When the greens have wilted down, add a couple ladles of the starchy pasta cooking liquid to the pan; cook for a minute to reduce it a little.
• Drain pasta well and add it to the skillet.
• Add in the pancetta and a handful of cheese to the pan; toss the pasta for a minute or so to allow it to absorb the remaining liquid.
• Adjust the seasonings and serve; pass the extra cheese at the table.

CREAMY TUSCAN PASTA SAUCE WITH CHICKEN AND BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Set out cream cheese to soften. Then prepare your chicken. Precooked chicken strips are very easy, and this would also be a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken, by dicing into bite-sized pieces. Or you can bake or pan-fry your chicken breasts and then cut into bite sized pieces.
• Prepare the balsamic mushrooms. First, in a small dish, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water, set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms and salt and stir right away with a wooden spoon until the mushrooms have absorbed all the fat.
• Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed for 2 minutes and then stir once. The pan will look dry, but keep the heat at medium-high and continue to cook, stirring infrequently, until the mushrooms are shrunken, glistening, and some sides have developed a deep orange-brown color, 6 to 7 minutes more.
• Turn the heat to low, add the garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Carefully add the balsamic mixture. Cook, stirring, until the liquid reduces to a glazey consistency that coats the mushrooms, 15 to 20 seconds. Season with pepper. Set aside mushrooms.
• Prep remaining ingredients - shred parmesan, mince garlic (or use garlic press), halve cherry tomatoes, julienne-slice basil leaves into thin strips, boil pasta.
• In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
• Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and half of the fresh basil. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes.
• Plate! Layer pasta, then chicken, then mushrooms, then sauce, and top with cherry tomatoes and remaining fresh basil.