Quick Fix: Chicken Alfredo an easy Italian dinner
When I think of garlicy, creamy Alfredo sauce, I recall sitting in a café in Rome, carefully spooning up every drop. It’s a traditional Italian dish with a simple preparation. For an easy Italian dinner, I decided to add chicken and basil to this classic pasta dish.
To round out this quick dinner, add a washed, ready-to-eat salad with oil and vinegar dressing.
Suggestions for Improvement:
— Instead of minced garlic, use 6 crushed garlic cloves.
— Instead of chicken breast, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Countdown:
— Bring the pasta water to a boil.
— Gather all of the ingredients.
— Brown the chicken.
— Prepare the pasta.
— Prepare the sauce.
— The entire recipe.
List of items to buy:
Purchase 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 jar minced garlic, 1 small carton lite cream, 1 bottle skim milk, 1 small piece Parmesan cheese, 1 container low-sodium chicken broth, 1/4 pound fettuccine, and 1 bunch fresh basil.
Olive oil, butter, salt, and freshly ground black pepper are the essentials.
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THE ALFREDO CHICKEN
Linda Gassenheimer’s recipe
1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 teaspoons melted butter
freshly ground black pepper and salt
fettuccine (quarter pound)
3 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup heavy cream
half a cup skim milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2 cup basil, fresh
Chicken should be cut into 1/2-inch slices. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. A meat thermometer should show a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To taste, season with salt and pepper.
When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, combine the garlic, cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, and chicken broth in a skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth.
Drain and add the pasta to the skillet. Toss gently. Return the sliced chicken and fresh basil to the skillet. To combine all of the ingredients, toss them together. The pasta will make the sauce thicker. Divide the mixture between two dinner plates.
Makes 2 servings.
650 calories (33% fat), 23 g fat (9.5 g saturated, 7.3 g monounsaturated), 167 mg cholesterol, 53.7 g protein, 55.1 g carbohydrates, 4.2 g fiber, 358 mg sodium per serving.
