4-13-17 Out of the park!

4-13-17   Out of the park!

Sometimes you hit a home run when you least expect it, which is what happened tonight.  This morning I saw a post on Facebook for Penne pasta with spinach and sundried tomatoes, and that set the wheels spinning.  I like cooking with sundried tomatoes in oil – spinach not so much.  As the day wore on a recipe evolved in my head:

Pasta with chicken, asparagus, and sundried tomatoes in a cream sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Pappardelle

2.     Asparagus

3.     Chicken tenders – marinated for 30 minutes

4.     Sundried tomatoes in olive oil – 4 or 5 coarsely chopped

5.     Shallots – one thinly slice

6.     Garlic

7.     Basil – fresh (I used frozen cubes from last summer’s garden.)

8.     Celery

9.     Sweet Vermouth

10. Red pepper flakes

11. Heavy whipping cream

For the Marinade:

1.     Finely chopped garlic

2.     Fresh basil finely chopped

3.     Salt and pepper

4.     Oregano

5.     Dry white wine

6.     Balsamic vinegar glaze

PROCESS:

Salt and pepper the chicken and place in a small bowl.  Coat with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar glaze, and wine.  Add the garlic, basil, and oregano and mix well.  Cover and place in refrigerator for about 30 mins.

When ready, brown the chicken in olive oil over high heat, remove, and set aside.  Save the marinade.

Cook the Shallots, garlic, and celery in olive oil until soft.  Add red pepper flakes and the tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes.  Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the pan, along with the marinade and a splash of wine and cook over low heat.  About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready add the heavy whipping cream, stirring frequently.

Add the past to the pan and mix well.

COMMENTS:

Patience gave this a 25 on a scale of 1-10.  Enough said.