Tagliatelle with Chicken

As we do every year, we look for a new dish ideas  that aren't just really good, but look really good on your plate for the holidays. If this is a holiday dish, you want to also make the Tomato sauce that is also here on the blog. This has been a big hit this year already and we are just getting started. We've made if for a few parties so far and we haven't had any leftovers yet!

Serves 4
8 oz tagliatelle. The green pasta works well with this dish for the holidays! You can buy a great spinach/garlic that was fabulous.
1 T olive oil
Salt
Tomato Sauce use 1 full recipe for 4
Basil leaves for garnish

Chicken Sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
14 oz. boned, skinned chicken breast (or thighs) sliced thin
3/4 cup blanched almonds
1\2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 1\4  cups heavy cream salt and pepper

1. Make the Tomato Sauce.

2. To make the chicken sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and fry the chicken strips and almonds  for 5 to 6 minutes,  stirring frequently until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile pour the cream into a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil. Simmer slowly for about 10 minutes until reduced by almost half.  Pour the cream over the chicken, add the parmesan and keep warm.

4. Cook the pasta, drain and keep warm.

5. To plate your dish, add the desired amount of pasta, spoon tomato sauce over the  pasta and then spoon the chicken and cream in the center. Garnish with basil and extra Parmesan if desired.
Serve immediately.

Fresh Pasta

This is far to easy to say you can't do it! All you need is a good pasta machine which are everywhere now and very reasonable in price. You can find them under $50.

This is another from our friend Velia in Orvieto and its a tried and true recipe that have made many many times. I think the only possible problem is the eggs. Its tricky because some stores have extra large eggs that are the same as large in other stores. So you'll have to find what works for you and go from there. We found that the Costco extra large eggs work great. So you need:

1 kg 00 flour (Caputo's sells a nice small bag and you can just use about the whole bag. We usually take 1 cup out and then add the eggs. If it seems like the dough needs more flour, we can add from the cup we took out.

9 extra large eggs

Semolina flour

Pour all your flour (less the cup) on a surface that will not stick. Form a hole in the middle and crack all of the eggs into the well. With a fork scramble the eggs and little by little keep pulling flour into the eggs until it forms a thick dough. By this time drop the fork and get in there with your hands. Knead it until its a pretty well all incorporated..

Once its all incorporated, separate sections and flatten them a bit.You want to sprinkle the semolina flour on your pasta machine, all the moving parts and also on the table or surface where you are working with the pasta.With your pasta roller, start on the highest or thickest setting which is 8 or 9. Put the past through 2 times and then lower a number and put the pasta through again. Continue with this until you have rolled your pasta on setting #1 which will be very thin. Put plenty of semolina on your pasta (both sides) so that it starts to dry immediately. Lay this on a flat surface and move on to another piece of pastas starting with the thickest setting.

When yo have rolled out all of the pasta, add your attachment to make the pasta of your choice. Be sure to sprinkle the semolina on the moving parts. Usually your rolled pasta will be 2-3 feet long, so once you've cut it into your pasta of choice, be sure to cut into smaller pieces (maybe a foot long) and then lay them on a tray that has been sprinkled with semolina...sprinkle more on top of the fresh pasta and move on to the next piece. Once all of the pasta has been cut leave it all the tray and continue to mix around to be sure the semolina touches all the parts to that it all begins to dry. 

You can cook the pasta now! In a pot of salted boiling water, add the amount of pasta you desire and cook 3-6 minutes. When its done, plate to your favorite serving dish add the sauce of your choice, cheese if you like and Enjoy!