Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Here we go again.  If you have not noticed, I enjoy my pasta and this is one of my favorites.  This recipe  will yield four servings so add or delete accordingly, Alfredo sauce does not keep well for leftovers so be prepared to eat it all.  Keep this recipe on top of the pile!  The basic pasta mix will serve you well over the years and you can be very creative, substitute Lemon Juice and zest for the water for a fun Lemon Pasta, or add finely chopped spinach, Portabella, Vodka - get busy.  Also, I have prepared this dish with Chicken, kind of a standard, but it can be served plain as a side dish or with Shrimp, Veal, Lobster or wild game (Grouse or Pheasant is excellent) and don't forget our motto - when in doubt - add more cheese!

Ingredients: 

  

Sauce

Pasta (Fettuccine)

1 Cup Half and Half (or Heavy Cream)

3 Cups Flour

1 Stick Unsalted Butter

1 t Salt

1 Cup Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

3 Eggs plus 2 Yolks

1 T minced Garlic

1 - 2 T Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 T Water

Chopped fresh Italian (Flat Leaf) Parsley

 

Chicken

 

2 Skinless Chicken Breasts (Serves Four)

 


Fresh Pasta - Yummy
1. Basic Pasta Dough.  Pile up the flour & salt, make a well in the center and add Eggs & Yolks, water and 1T Olive oil.

2. Gradually work the flour into the liquid working from the center out until you have a fairly dry ball of dough.  This should take about 15 minutes of mixing and kneading.

 

3. Lightly oil the outside of the ball, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for a half an hour or so.

 

By the way, if you have a real mixer with a dough hook, you can dump everything in the bowl and have a Dr. Pepper while Kitchen Aide does the grunt work - take over at step 3.

 
Now we are having fun!  This is a "Pasta Queen" - you can accomplish the same results with a rolling pin and paring knife, or a fancy attachment for the Kitchen Aide, but we like to crank, plus it's cheap and portable.  Start with the plain rollers at the most open setting ( 0 on our machine) and work your way down to a 5 or 6 - somewhere around 1/8" thick sheets.
 

4. We set aside the pasta sheets and then run all of them through the cutter wheels.

5.  Set the cut fettuccine aside on some flour dusted parchment or wax paper and allow to slightly dry - maybe 15 minutes .

Grilled Chicken

6.  Simple sautéed chicken.  I do mine in Olive oil dusted with a little Garlic Pepper seasoning.  Once the top & bottom are browned, butterfly the breast and sear the inside so you finish with about 1/2" thick breasts - set aside (keep warm) until everything comes together.

Time to Hit the Sauce

7.  Let's add  some calories!  Melt the stick of butter at Medium-Low heat and very lightly sauté the garlic.  Close your eyes, take a deep breath, say "Ahhhhh" and move on.  Add the cream and heat for 5 minutes.  Slowly add the grated cheese, stirring gently until melted and smooth.  Add pepper and salt, tasting frequently until everything is just right!

8.  Cook the Fettuccine in salted water until just al dente - this comes quick with fresh pasta - maybe 3-4 minutes tops.  Lift the pasta from the water and add to the sauce.  It usually takes 2-3 loads to cook all my pasta, I like to give them room in the Water pot. 

9. Once everything is all together, thoroughly mix the pasta with the sauce.  Lift out an ample portion, dust with fresh parsley and cover with the sliced chicken breast.  When no one is watching, add a little more Parmigiano cheese and dig in.
   
   
You've read this before - This should pretty much take care of you for a few hours.

 

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