BY CHERYL ORR
My children always texted me for last-minute recipes that were easy to prepare with a few ingredients.
Luckily, there are several I knew on the fly that would impress a high school or college date and not be stressful to make.
One of those recipes is a pasta with alfredo sauce. This sauce was first historically noted by the culinary world in 1908 in Rome, but was probably made well before that time by home cook. Chef Alfredo di Lelio made a simple sauce from butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese tossed with pasta cooking water and fettuccine. Many current recipes also include cream and garlic.
For a little protein to this rich sauce, I like to add slices of chicken breast that I have gently poached in white wine with aromatics. I have also used grilled chicken breast that I have marinated or brined for several hours.
This week, I have shared my recipe for Pasta with Chicken and Alfredo. You can use any pasta you like, but a traditional fettuccini is always a good choice. I have also diced the cooled chicken and mixed it with ricotta, scallion, herbs, and parmesan and stuffed it into al dente large pasta shells or rolled it into manicotti. I then place the stuffed pasta in a baking dish filled with a layer of alfredo and covered with more sauce and a sprinkling of freshly shredded or sliced mozzarella and bake until hot and bubbling.
Either way you incorporate alfredo sauce into your meal it is sure to delight your family or guests.
Enjoy!
If you have a cooking question, contact me at cher.orr@gmail.com and I’d be happy to assist!
Chicken Alfredo
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
- 4 chicken breast halves, poached or grilled, sliced into strips and seasoned
- 3 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups freshly grated parmesan, plus more
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup chopped parsley
PREPARATION
In a large deep sauté pan simmer heavy cream over low-medium heat in the pan for
several minutes to thicken and reduce. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add
butter by the teaspoon and whisk gently to melt. Whisk in cheese until creamy. Add
chicken and stir to incorporate. Season to taste and fold in fresh parsley.
Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to boil, add a couple of
tablespoons of salt. Wait to begin cooking the pasta until the sauce is almost done. If
using fresh homemade pasta cook after the sauce is ready. Stir to make sure the pasta
separates. Cook to very al dente because the pasta will cook a little more in the sauce.
Quickly drain the cooked pasta, reserving one cup of pasta water, and gently toss the
pasta to coat in the alfredo sauce. Cook a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add a little
pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more
grated cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Cheryl Orr is offering weekly Canapé Club at the Patisserie at Edenton Bay, as well as Supper Club that all can attend. She is currently completing her cookbook, and offering private cooking classes, small catering, and private chef dinners.