recipe for chicken/penne alfredo?

[UmMusa]

Hey, I'd like to make a dinner using penne pasta, chicken, mushrooms, broccoli in alfredo sauce.

 

I used to make a bechamel sauce but have kinda forgotten the proportions. I used to make it with whole milk and then would add mozzarella and parmesan. Does anyone have a proper recipe I can follow?

[justasque]

3 tbsp butter or olive oil

3 tbsp flour

2 cups milk

8 oz or so of cheese (for a cheese sauce)

 

OR

 

I've done alfredo with a stick of butter and a pint of heavy cream, plus parmesan. You could saute the mushrooms in the butter first. Wickedly unhealthy, of course.

[Audrey]

For an alfredo I much prefer to do it this way:

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups whole cream

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

salt and white pepper to taste

 

Over medium heat saute the garlic in butter and oil. Don't brown it. Then whisk in cream and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add your al dente pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and toss to coat while heating gently.

 

ETA: I just remembered you want to use mushrooms. Personally, I would prefer them cooked separately with the chicken then tossed in the sauce with the pasta later. Cooking them in the butter/oil turns everything brownish, which isn't so appealing to me.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Audrey

[justasque]

But here's what I"d do:

 

I would saute onion and garlic in 3 tbsp of olive oil, then add the chicken and then a bit later the mushrooms and some thinly sliced red pepper. I'd do the broc in the microwave with a bit of water until softish (because I"m not good at sauteing broc, YMMV). Then I'd throw in the broc. Add 3 tbsp of flour, and stir over low heat for a minute. Then slowly add in 2 cups of milk, stirring continuously. Cook until the sauce starts getting thick, then add some mozzerella and some sharp white cheddar - about 6 oz cheddar to 2 oz mozzerella. A bit of salt and pepper, and about 1/2 tsp of good mustard to make the cheese flavor "pop'. Serve over pasta, with freshly grated parmesan or asiago.

[UmMusa]

Ooooh thanks... I love reading these.

[ma23peas]

For an alfredo I much prefer to do it this way:

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups whole cream

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

salt and white pepper to taste

 

Over medium heat saute the garlic in butter and oil. Don't brown it. Then whisk in cream and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add your al dente pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and toss to coat while heating gently.

 

ETA: I just remembered you want to use mushrooms. Personally, I would prefer them cooked separately with the chicken then tossed in the sauce with the pasta later. Cooking them in the butter/oil turns everything brownish, which isn't so appealing to me.

 

Yes this! Just made it tonight! to taste, I actually do not add salt, the parmesan is pretty salty for me, but I double the white pepper...the best!

[UmMusa]

For an alfredo I much prefer to do it this way:

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups whole cream

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

salt and white pepper to taste

 

Over medium heat saute the garlic in butter and oil. Don't brown it. Then whisk in cream and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add your al dente pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and toss to coat while heating gently.

 

ETA: I just remembered you want to use mushrooms. Personally, I would prefer them cooked separately with the chicken then tossed in the sauce with the pasta later. Cooking them in the butter/oil turns everything brownish, which isn't so appealing to me.

Oh my gosh I was just at the store, got the white pepper, have everything lined up EXCEPT i forgot cream... AAAAACKKKKKKKK.

 

Will this thicken properly with 2% milk? Don't make me cry. Just say it'll work. :D

[UmMusa]

Anyone? Do I need to go to the store with my FOUR CHILDREN!?!?!?

[umsami]

2% should work ISA.

[UmMusa]

Fail.

It was the milk. All the other components tasted great.

[Audrey]

Anyone? Do I need to go to the store with my FOUR CHILDREN!?!?!?

 

Yes. :blush: Sorry, I would go get some. But, if you don't mind a really, really thin sauce, the milk will be okay.

[umsami]

Fail.

It was the milk. All the other components tasted great.

 

Sorry. I make bechamel with 2% all the time and it's fine. Just need to let it thicken up.

[KungFuPanda]

For an alfredo I much prefer to do it this way:

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

2 cups whole cream

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

salt and white pepper to taste

 

Over medium heat saute the garlic in butter and oil. Don't brown it. Then whisk in cream and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add your al dente pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and toss to coat while heating gently.

 

ETA: I just remembered you want to use mushrooms. Personally, I would prefer them cooked separately with the chicken then tossed in the sauce with the pasta later. Cooking them in the butter/oil turns everything brownish, which isn't so appealing to me.

 

:iagree: with all of this, except I never put olive oil in.

 

If you're stuck with 2%, it'll be better with the béchamel method, but if you want it to taste perfect get the cream. Half n half will work too, but not regular milk.

[UmMusa]

yep, I used the cream recipe above, so that's probably why it didn't work. bechamel with flour would be ok with the 2%milk probably, but I think that cream in the recipe above can't be substituted.