pasta

Garlic Tuscan Chicken Pasta

October 5, 2018 4 Comments

Fall is my favorite food season, hands down. It’s the one time of year you get to splurge on creamy, braised, roasted, baked, and slow-cooked things. Let’s celebrate Fall with this delicious creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta. This dish is sexy as hell, and that’s that on that! There’s much room for customization, too. I used skin-on boneless chicken thighs, because you already know we’re thigh people around here. But if you’d like to use boneless/skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, or leg quarters, you are more than welcome. This is technically a one-pot meal, and it comes together in under an hour.

Why did I use chicken thighs? Because they offer more room for over-cooking. You would be hard-pressed to overcook these babies. They stay so succulent and juicy, whereas white meat (while tasty) dries out like a raisin in the sun. You are free to use whatever you want or have on hand. You can even use boneless AND skinless thighs, but hell…you’re already making this decadent dish, why skimp? The texture of that crispy skin against all this rich creaminess is otherworldly.

Tuscan Chicken Pasta Tips

There are lots of variations of this recipe online, and I’m sure almost all of them (mine included) have similar ingredients. It’s no coincidence, either. For the sauce alone, you kinda have to have sun-dried tomatoes (jarred, packed in oil) or red bell peppers, leafy green spinach, cream, and lots of fresh garlic. Many people add chicken, but you can also use seafood or another protein instead. You could also use mushrooms as the main ingredient to keep it somewhat vegetarian.

Save yourself some kitchen-stress, and prep as many things as you can. Measure everything out, chop and mince everything you need, and shred/grate every cheese. You’ll find this dish to be very rustic, and fixing errors will be easy. If you realize your liquid is evaporating faster than the pasta is cooking, just add more liquid! It’s easy. I didn’t use a full pound of pasta, just 10-ounces (yes, I weighed it). But if you don’t have a kitchen scale, here’s a visual I can give you. You know those 16- fluid ounce plastic food containers? I filled two of those with cavatappi right to the top, completely leveled.

While the ingredient list is long, don’t be intimidated. There are some things you could easily leave out, or swap in case you don’t have it. You just need the basics. You can even leave out the mozzarella, and you don’t need both pecorino and parmigiano, but definitely have at least one of those. Here’s a tip: Always keep your freezer stocked with chicken, your fridge stocked with dairy and fresh cheeses (if you eat them often), and your pantry stocked with various pasta shapes and jarred fruits and veggies, like sun-dried and canned tomatoes. Make sure you keep aromatics on hand as well, such as garlic, onions, and shallots. If you have a warehouse membership, buy your wines for cooking there. They’re far more inexpensive, and you get double the amount.

Garlic Tuscan Chicken Pasta | Pic Tutorial

First, you’re gonna season your chicken. We don’t do bland around these parts.

Drizzle a little oil on each piece to help better distribute the seasonings into the meat. Rub it in goooood.

The yard bird is all seasoned and lightly oiled.

Place your chicken skin-side down in a dry, hot pan. If using skinless chicken, add a little oil to keep it from sticking too terribly.

Flip chicken over when the skin releases without a fight, this takes about 8 minutes or less.

Drain off all but one tablespoon of chicken fat, and throw in the butter and just one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the crushed red pepper flakes to infuse the butter and oil.

Let’s sweat those onions. Make sure they’re well coated in the butter.

These onions will have plenty of time to cook down, but for now let’s add some salt and pepper to them.

After about 2 minutes, add the dried herbs.

Next up, the sun-dried tomatoes.

Two minutes later, throw in all that yummy fresh garlic. Don’t use that jarred mess. Yuck.

After the garlic cooks and infuses for about 30 seconds, toss in the fresh herbs and stir those around for about 10 seconds.

Pour in the white wine, and scrape scrape scrape!

Give the white wine time to reduce, about 3 minutes.

You should smell this *drool*

When you can leave a quick trail like this, you can move on to the next step.

I combined my stock and half & half in the same cup, so pour both in.

Pour in the pasta!

Your pasta should be fully submerged with just tiny peaks surfacing at the most, like pictured. Add the granulated garlic and onion.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium-low, closer to low.

Sauce will reduce and thicken as the pasta cooks. Keep checking the pasta for doneness. It should be al-dente, not mushy.

so yummy

When pasta is tender, turn off heat and add the parm and pecorino.

Fold in the spinach.

Fold in the fresh basil and parsley.

Add the mozzarella cheese (I forgot to take a pic of this step).

All done.

Add the chicken to the top and enjoy!

Also, make sure you check out some other yummy recipes:

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Chef Resha
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Print Recipe

Description

Creamy, garlicky pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, lots of fresh garlic, fresh spinach and topped with crispy-skinned chicken thighs. You’re not ready.

Ingredients

For the chicken

6 skin-on boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup olive oil

For the pasta

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups yellow onion, diced
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
8 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
3 cups half-and-half, plus more if needed
10 ounces cavatappi pasta (see note below)
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, grated
1/2 cup pecorino-romano, grated
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 small bag fresh baby spinach (about 4 loose cups)
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

For the chicken

Season the flesh side of the chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, granulated garlic and onion, dried thyme and oregano. If you need more spices, please add it. You wan’t good coverage. Drizzle a little oil on top of the herbs and spices, and massage it into the chicken. Make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies. Flip the chicken over, and sprinkle kosher salt all over the skin of the chicken. We don’t want to add any other seasonings to the skin side, because we don’t want them to burn.

Place a large deep-sided skillet or braising dish (at least 4 quarts) over medium-high heat. When it’s nice and hot, add the chicken to the dry skillet skin-side down. Thighs have enough fat on their own, you won’t need to add any additional at this point. If using a leaner protein, like white meat, please drizzle with oil first so the meat doesn’t stick. Let the skin sear and get crisp, this will take about 7 to 8 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when it’s easy to flip the chicken over. There will be a SLIGHT resistance, but if it’s resisting too much, it’s not ready. Cook chicken flesh-side down until cooked through, about 5 to 8 more minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer if you’re unsure. When chicken is done cooking, place it on a large plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

For the pasta

In that same pan, reduce the heat to medium. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of residual chicken fat. Add the butter, and one tablespoon of olive oil. When the butter starts to sizzle, start scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan leftover from the chicken. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds to infuse the fat. Add the onions to the pan, and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the onions with a generous pinch of kosher salt and black pepper, then the dried thyme and oregano. Allow the dried herbs to bloom, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes. Next, toss in the garlic and cook for just about 30 seconds. When the garlic is fragrant, add the fresh thyme and fresh rosemary. Stir it in and cook for just 10 seconds.

Pour in the white wine while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Allow the wine to reduce for about 3 minutes, or until you can leave a quick dry trail with the edge of your spatula/wooden spoon. Pour in the chicken stock and half-and-half (I had both in a large measuring cup to make it easier), stirring to combine all ingredients.

Next, add the cavatappi pasta, making sure it’s submerged. Add in the granulated garlic and onion, stir it in and bring the pasta up to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low (closer to low). The pasta will cook gently in the liquid, while simultaneously thickening it. This will take about 10 minutes or so, but be sure to test the doneness of your pasta often to see where it stands. If your liquid is evaporating faster than the pasta is cooking, simply add a little more half-and-half in stages. Make sure you stir this mixture often, to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. You may need to adjust the heat during this step, so please do so.

When the pasta is tender and toothsome, but not mushy (al-dente), turn the heat off. The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino-romano cheeses until well combined. Now’s the time to taste it. If you need to add salt and/or pepper, do it. Fold in the spinach until it’s wilted from the residual heat. Next, add the fresh basil and parsley and gently stir to combine. Stir in the mozzarella cheese (I forgot to take a picture of this step). Taste it again to make sure it’s seasoned right. Your finished pasta should be creamy, smooth, and cheesy. It shouldn’t be dry. If it’s not smooth or creamy, add a touch more half&half or chicken stock to loosen it a bit.

Chop your chicken into desired pieces or strips, and place on top of the finished pasta.

Serve immediately with your favorite side salad, or crusty garlic bread.

Notes

We’re not using a full box, so please weigh your pasta if you can. I like cavatappi because it expands nicely, has lots of grooves for sauce-cling’age, etc. If you are unable to weigh your pasta, you could use the whole box of cavatappi. Just add more liquid (stock and/or half&half) as it cooks.

Always grate and/or shred your cheese fresh. Don’t use pre-packaged shredded cheese, because it doesn’t melt well and isn’t nearly as delicious. For the love of God, please don’t use that “1,000 year shelf-life woodchipper parmesan cheese” in the green canister. That would be disrespectful AF!

Keywords: garlic tuscan pasta, tuscan chicken pasta, creamy tuscan chicken pasta

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Chef Resha

Chef Resha is an accomplished self-taught private chef, home cook, public figure, and recipe developer based in the DC Metro area. Creator and owner of CarnalDish — an incredibly delicious and renowned website full of sinful comfort food recipes made with love. CarnalDish has been featured on Good Morning Washington, Ebony magazine, Essence, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Newport, The Dr. Oz Show, and many more notable publications.

https://carnaldish.com

Aglio Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp

April 19, 2018 Leave a Comment

Pasta is comfort food. You will not debate me on this fact. You can make something so comforting with just a couple ingredients, and it will be guaranteed delicious. Pasta aglio e olio, and cacio e pepe are two of my favorite most simplest pasta dishes ever created. They both need very little to be so delicious and satisfying. Both are perfect for a late night craving fix, as they come together in about 20 minutes.

However, a real Italian will not hesitate to tell you that authentic cacio e pepe doesn’t contain garlic (or any other “fancy” toppings and additions). Aglio e olio pasta is the one with garlic (aglio = garlic). They both have cheese and both typically use spaghetti. But I don’t do authentic. Not because I don’t respect it, because I do, but I just like to do me while paying homage to the real thing. Besides, too many people want to argue about the authenticity of authenticity! It’s exhausting, and quite frankly, I don’t really care enough to donate my energy to something so silly — if it’s good, I’m gonna eat it. When you’re in the kitchen, you simply have to do what you want, and make what you feel like eating. So, here you have *my* take on aglio cacio e pepe…with shrimp?? Or, con gamberetti?? And I have NO idea if that’s even a proper title for it, because I don’t speak the language, and therefore don’t really know how to arrange those words. Basically, this is pasta with cheese, garlic, and juicy shrimp.

Cacio e pepe is very simple. The method to achieve it, takes just a little bit of practice, but it’s very easy to do. You basically use the starchy pasta water, and a little fat (olive oil and/or butter) to emulsify a sauce, while adding sharp pecorino romano cheese…and you end up with this creamy delicious sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta. Movement is your friend here. Keep the pasta moving while you mix it around, and the sauce comes together very easily. The main seasoning aside from the salty pasta water, is of course the freshly ground black pepper (pepe). The best way to infuse that floral peppery flavor is to gently infuse the olive oil with the pepper. And because I’m using elements of aglio e olio, do the same with the garlic. You can slice your garlic, or crush it and roughly chop it like I did. You don’t wanna use minced, because it will burn almost immediately. It’s too small. Larger chunks or slices of it, will yield a better flavor. It gets toasty and sweet, and way less harsh on the palate. You can use a combination of pecorino and parmigiano, but that’s totally up to you, toots.

You can leave the shrimp out, or just swap it with another protein. That’s the beauty of cooking — you get to do whatever you want. I took about a half pound of thawed extra large shrimp and soaked them in a quick brine of kosher salt and raw sugar (equal parts). This method really helps enhance the shrimp’s natural sweetness and ocean’y saltiness, without being too much.

Roughly chop some garlic, the amount is totally up to you. I used about 6 large cloves.

Add the garlic, olive oil, and butter to a large skillet.

Don’t forget the pepper! If you’re nervous, start with a little, you can always add more later.

Bring the olive oil, butter, garlic, and black pepper to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often.

Meanwhile, bring about 4 inches of water in a large pot to a rumbling boil. Add sea salt and pasta.

As the pasta begins to soften, gently twist and turn it so it all fits in the water. Don’t break your pasta!! I’m not even Italian and I know that’s a serious sin. Be gentle doing this though, you don’t want to break it.

Continuously stir the garlic in the fat around so that it doesn’t burn. Also, because we’re using butter, the milk solids in the butter will brown, and we don’t want those to burn either. Just keep this moving, it’ll take about 5-7 minutes total.

Keep stirring.

See how toasty the garlic is? This is perfect.

Now, add a ladle of starchy salty pasta water to the oil to slow down the cooking process so the garlic doesn’t get any darker.

Steamy!

We’ve achieved this color because of the browned butter. But this is what it looks like with the water added.

Add your al-dente pasta to the skillet, along with any water dripping of it.

Stir around, adding 1 ladle of pasta water at a time until the water, olive oil, and butter start to emulsify.

Add the cheese, while vigorously stirring the pasta.

Keep stirring, the cheese will bring the sauce together. See how it’s clinging?

Continue to add small ladles of pasta water as needed until you’ve reached the consistency you want.

Turn the heat off. Give it a taste, and add more black pepper if you need to. Cover and keep warm. Also, keep a cup of the hot starchy pasta water on hand just in case you need to adjust the consistency as it sits.

Because the shrimp take about 2-3 minutes to cook, you can do this at the very last couple of minutes. Simply saute them in a drizzle of butter and/or olive oil for 1 and a half minutes per side. Turn the heat off and add a fresh squeeze of lemon.

If you want, you can top your whole dish with toasted buttered breadcrumbs, and you have a whole entire meal that was done quickly, and simply.