Pasta for a weeknight or a weekend

Some days, I just don’t feel like cooking, seemingly more so now that summer has made its grand enterance, giving us highs in the nineties all week.  Whether it’s a time crunch, not wanting to heat up your kitchen, or just plain apathy, some dinners just need to be made with the least possible amount of time spent.  This recipe is great for low-effort cooking.  In the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta, you’ll have a filling, flavorful entree.  Dinner in fifteen minutes, who doesn’t love that?

Pasta in garlic pesto

• 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp. pesto sauce
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil, as needed

In a large pot, bring water to a boil.  In a large skillet, over high heat, melt the butter.  Add to it the garlic and shallot.  Stir until soft.  When the water boils, add the pasta, after three minutes, angel hair pasta should be cooked through.  Drain well and add to the skillet, stirring in the pesto.  If the pasta seems to be clumping together, drizzle in olive oil as needed.  Serve with extra Parmesan.

This was the dish we made to inaugurate our pasta machine. To make fresh pasta, click here. This cajun chicken alfredo is great for two, or a gathering. Don’t worry about storing leftovers, this dish won’t make it to your fridge.  I didn’t tweak this at all, it sounded too good to try and mess with, though I left off the nutmeg. All the credit goes to Comfortably Domestic.  It certainly takes more time than the recipe above, but it can still be done in a half hour if coordinated.  The longest part is getting the sauce to thicken, but it’s well worth the wait.

Cajun Chicken Pasta (found on comfortablydomestic.com)

• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.25 pounds)
• 2 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C (1/2 pint) grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 C dry white wine, or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 1/2 C freshly grated Italian cheese, like Parmesan, Fontina, or Asiago)
• 3 oz. herbed goat cheese
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 lb. cooked fettuccini
• chopped parsley, for serving

 

Cook fettuccini al dente, according to the package, stirring often.  Drain, rinse with hot tap water to keep from sticking, then drain again.

Rinse chicken and pat dry, and place between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Pound with a tenderizer until very thin.  Sprinkle with a heavy amount of blackening spices, pressing to make it stick.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1 Tbsp of butter and the olive oil, until butter begins to brown.  Add chicken to the pan and sear about 3 minutes, then turn and sear the other side for another two, until chicken is cooked through.  Remove from pan, thinly slice against the grain, and set aside.

If the skillet looks dry, add a bit more olive oil, and heat over medium heat.  Pour in the white wine (or chicken broth) to deglaze the pan, whisking all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the garlic and tomatoes, saute to soften and caramelize, about 1-2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and pour the cream into the pan with the mixture, stirring constantly for a minute.  Add the salt, pepper, and remaining butter.  Continue to stir another 3-4 minutes, letting the cream reduce a little.

Remove from heat.  Stir in Italian cheeses and goat cheese, until melted and the sauce is smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  Toss in the pasta, and combine well.  Top with chicken, parsley, and a pinch of nutmeg to serve.

Tip of the week: When pan-cooking a heavily spiced piece of meat, don’t worry too much if it appears darker than normal.  It’s the spices burning, not the meat.  It will taste great this way.