Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Fabulous Food: Chicken and asparagus pasta with basil cream sauce

This is one of the meals that I am asked to make whenever my family gets together.  It was inspired by the chicken and asparagus pasta I ate at the Nordstrom's cafe in Kansas City a few years ago.  It is soooooo good.  Seriously....soooooo gooooood : )


Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of chicken cut into thin strips
1 box of farfalle pasta
1 8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms
1 bunch of asparagus cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles drained
1 tsp minced garlic
4 tbsp. butter
3 green onions thinly sliced
1 carton of heavy cream
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 c parmesan cheese


Prepare the farfalle according to the directions on the box, drain, rinse and set aside.  Melt 2 tbsps. of butter in a large pan.  Saute the chicken until no longer pink.  Turn down the heat and add asparagus to the pan.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir occasionally.


In a large saucepan, melt the other 2 Tbsps. of butter.  Add 1 tsp of minced garlic and stir until lighted browned.  Add the sliced green onion and lightly saute.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes or until they have started to reduce in size and have begun to change color.  Add the drained tomatoes, 1 tsp of dried basil, 1/4 tsp. of thyme and 1/4 tsp. of oregano and stir.  Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low.  Add salt and pepper- I usually use 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, but some people like more (my Mom) and some people like less (my sister).  I suggest adding a little, taste it, add a little more until you have it exactly the way you want it.  Leave sauce to simmer for 5 minutes and then take it off the heat and let it cool down. 


Make sure the asparagus has softened, but is still a bit crunchy.


Add the chicken and asparagus mixture to the pasta in a large bowl.  Stir until all three ingredients are mixed well. 


After the sauce has cooled a bit and has become a little thicker, pour it over the pasta mixture.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top and it's ready to serve. 


This recipe is always a crowd pleaser, so expect requests for seconds : ) 


 *** these cookies are another hot item at our family gatherings***


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