Even when summer's here, we have days when it's cool enough to lean into good comfort food dishes or we're just craving them so much we simply crank up the air conditioning. This week, we're looking at three such oven baked, pressure cooked, or sauce supreme dishes that leave our mouths watering. We begin with a lemony fettuccine alfredo dish brimming with chicken and asparagus. And guess what? You can have it on the table in under a half hour!
If you don't have shallot, you can finely chop some onion instead or simply omit it. Pick your level of garlic, but if you skip it, you'll be losing depth of flavor. Same goes for the crushed red pepper, mustard, and smoked paprika. The dish can hold its own without any/all of them, but I love the extra dimension they had to this clever pasta dish. That said, don't skip the lemon and asparagus - they bring this comfort food pasta a good summer flare. You can skip the chicken if you'd like, but the extra protein is likely to keep you better fueled for longer.
I like to serve this in large bowls with a slice of focaccia alongside a chilled glass of white wine. It's a quick and easy meal that feels a little fancy, which makes it a perfect mid week meal when you need a treat, have guests coming for dinner, or just have that comfort food craving that simply cannot be satisfied without pasta. Enjoy! Next time, we pull out the Instant Pot to make a clever lamb stew.
Lemon Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken & Asparagus
- 12 oz. uncooked fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup finely chopped shallot
- 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon coarse-grained Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2-3 cups chicken broth, depending on how thirsty your pasta is … add more as needed
- 10 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
- 1 lb. chopped cooked chicken - rotisserie chicken works great
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cook the pasta according the package instructions; drain and keep warm as needed.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot; cook - stirring often - until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, mustard, black pepper, kosher salt, and smoked paprika; cook - stirring constantly - until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring often. Stir in the asparagus, chicken, heavy cream, parmesan, and lemon zest and juice. Add the drained pasta and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and gently simmer until the pasta is fully tender and the cheese is fully melted. Serve warm.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 20-25 minutes