Pasta Alfredo
Roman restaurant owner, Alfredo di Lelio, became immortalized when he invented this dish in 1914. It became popular with tourists, who brought it over to North America. Creamy, saturated with delicious mushroom, garlic and parmesan flavours, wrapped in a comforting pasta - always a hit for a weekday supper or an easy weekend get-together with friends. This version uses chicken, but you can cook this up as a vegetarian dish with vegetables alone, according to your preferences. Portions of this recipe come from Epicurious, as well as my own recipe box.
More delicious pasta recipes: Green Angel Hair with Garlic Butter, Pasta with Hazelnut Pesto and Parmesan, Lemon Pasta with Parmesan & Peas, Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 - 1 - pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. or more mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons or more unsalted butter
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb. package pasta of your choice
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream or half-and-half, slightly warmed if possible
1 cup or more freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for serving (optional)
Method
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and sauté until nicely browned on the outside, but still a bit pink inside, about 4 minutes. The pieces don’t have to be browned on all sides; two sides is fine. Don't overcook them or they'll be tough. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
Do not clean the pan. The brown bits on the bottom of the pan will add flavour to the sauce. Melt more butter, as necessary and add the mushrooms, cooking until lightly browned.
Add the garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat for 30 seconds - 1 minutes.
Turn the heat to high, add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up the caramelized bits. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the dried pasta, stir well, and simmer until the pasta starts to soften, about 8 minutes. Add more broth if needed to cook the pasta.
Stir in the warm cream and the browned chicken with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes more.
Stir in the parmesan until well incorporated, and adjust the seasonings.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Serve hot and pass extra parmesan at the table.
Roman restaurant owner, Alfredo di Lelio, became immortalized when he invented this dish in 1914. It became popular with tourists, who brought it over to North America. Creamy, saturated with delicious mushroom, garlic and parmesan flavours, wrapped in a comforting pasta - always a hit for a weekday supper or an easy weekend get-together with friends. This version uses chicken, but you can cook this up as a vegetarian dish with vegetables alone, according to your preferences. Portions of this recipe come from Epicurious, as well as my own recipe box.
More delicious pasta recipes: Green Angel Hair with Garlic Butter, Pasta with Hazelnut Pesto and Parmesan, Lemon Pasta with Parmesan & Peas, Lemon Asparagus Pasta
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 - 1 - pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. or more mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons or more unsalted butter
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb. package pasta of your choice
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream or half-and-half, slightly warmed if possible
1 cup or more freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for serving (optional)
Method
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and sauté until nicely browned on the outside, but still a bit pink inside, about 4 minutes. The pieces don’t have to be browned on all sides; two sides is fine. Don't overcook them or they'll be tough. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
Do not clean the pan. The brown bits on the bottom of the pan will add flavour to the sauce. Melt more butter, as necessary and add the mushrooms, cooking until lightly browned.
Add the garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat for 30 seconds - 1 minutes.
Turn the heat to high, add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up the caramelized bits. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the dried pasta, stir well, and simmer until the pasta starts to soften, about 8 minutes. Add more broth if needed to cook the pasta.
Stir in the warm cream and the browned chicken with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes more.
Stir in the parmesan until well incorporated, and adjust the seasonings.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Serve hot and pass extra parmesan at the table.