Creamy Chicken and Pasta

I feel like I should make a new label of 30-minute meals, but that would mean going through ten years of posts.

In addition to not having as much time as I'd like to make dinner, I'm also working through visitor groceries.  I bought too much, not knowing how many meals we would have at home.  Turns out, only two dinners.  I was ready for five.  Melody Smurf did go for a Covid test halfway through the visit, and I realized I did not have enough vegetables for four people for two weeks.  They would have ordered in a ton of snacks and other groceries if we had been quarantined, but it turned out she was just motion sick from driving up PCH twice in a day.

So today's Pantry Project items are half a cup of cream, the rest of the shredded chicken in the freezer, a bit of Writer Smurf's white wine, and some celery from the garden.  Other ingredients were also on hand, but not on the verge of spoiling.  The only item I bought was the massive Brussels sprouts, after deciding I didn't want to use any of the frozen veggies on hand.  The ingredient list does look intimidating, but a lot of it is seasonings, including the celery.

*3 C dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1/2 lb veggie of choice, fresh or frozen
1 Tb butter
1 Tb flour
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/4 C minced celery
*1/4 tsp fennel seed
*1/4 tsp coriander seed
1/4 tsp chili flakes
*1/4 C dry white wine (optional)
*1/2 C cream
1 C milk
salt and pepper to taste
*3 C shredded chicken
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Start heating a large pot of water for the pasta.  In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook into a roux.

2.  Add garlic, celery, coriander, fennel, and chili flakes to the pan and heat until fragrant, one minute.  Add the cream and work into a thick sauce.  Add the wine, if using.  This was when it started to smell like my mac'n'cheese recipe.  While the alcohol is cooking off, check to see if the pasta water is boiling.  Add both the pasta and the vegetables to the water.  They should take about the same amount of time to cook.

3.  Gradually add remaining milk to the sauce, allowing it to thicken as it returns to a low boil each time.  Stir in chicken and cheese, then taste.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

4.  When the pasta is al dente, drain the whole pot.  Add pasta and vegetables to the sauce and turn to coat.  If you like a thinner sauce, add more milk.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π