Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce With Chicken And Balsamic Mushrooms Recipes

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.

CREAMY ONE-POT PASTA WITH CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add shallot, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften and begin to brown on edges, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, then wine. Stir and let liquid bubble away.
• Ladle stock into skillet 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When liquid is just about evaporated, add more. Mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep heat at medium and stir frequently.
• Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but with a tiny bit of crunch. When pasta is about 3 to 4 minutes away from being done, add chicken and stir to combine. Continue to cook until chicken is done - it will be white on inside when cut - and pasta is how you like it. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve.

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.

CREAMY TUSCAN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• 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 and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked noodles.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper and let rest.
• In a small skillet, saute onions in the butter until they are golden brown (carmelized).
• In a larger skillet with tall sides, heat olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, but do not cook through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
• While the pan is still hot, deglaze with the chicken broth, and use a whisk or spatula to loosen all the browned bits.
• Add the heavy cream and the balsamic vinegar to the chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes (if desired) Whisk through.
• Add the mushrooms to the cream sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Add onions into the sauce.
• Place the chicken back into the pan with the sauces, increase heat to medium and saute until chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear.
• Remove chicken and add the Parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir until melted through the sauce.
• Plate the chicken, top with sauce, and garnish with fresh parsley. I often serve this chicken over the top of basmati rice.