It’s recipe swap time again! I was excited to see that I was assigned Sarah’s blog for a few reasons. First, Sarah runs the recipe swap! Second, she’s been blogging for over 5 years, so she has lots to choose from. Third, we share a deep love for pasta. Her blog is loaded with delicious pasta recipes, so many that I had a really hard time narrowing it down to just one. In the end I went with what I knew would make a lot and be a crowd pleaser because we have visitors in town!
Jesse’s parents made the long journey to China last week and we have gone non-stop since they arrived. They have done a pretty great job trying (and liking!) lots of new foods, but after 4 days in Hong Kong, I knew they would appreciate something familiar. I made only a few slight changes to this recipe (added garlic and a few minor direction changes). I’m happy to say, they were huge fans of this pasta and so was I (no surprise there).
Rigatoni with Chicken, Bacon, and Mushrooms
Ingredients
1-lb rigatoni
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced in half or pounded thin
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
6-ounces mushrooms, cut into quarters
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup apple juice
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
15 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream*
Parmesan cheese
*Heavy cream is super expensive here, so I used milk, but I would recommend heavy cream, or at least half and half.
Directions
Cook pasta to al dente according to directions on box. Drain and set aside.
Season chicken with garlic powder, Italian seasonings, and salt and pepper. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side. Turn chicken over and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and juices run clear when pricked with a fork. Remove chicken from pan, place on a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
To the same pan, add the bacon. Cook until crispy, remove from the pan and place on the same plate as the chicken. To the pan add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. Increase heat to high and pour in the chicken broth and apple juice, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and half of basil. Simmer for 15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, cut chicken into bite size pieces.
Stir heavy cream in to sauce. Return the chicken (and any accumulated juices) and bacon to the pan. Add the cooked rigatoni noodles and toss to combine.
Serve immediately with remaining basil and Parmesan cheese.
Source: A Taste of Home Cooking
Also, check out what everyone else made for the swap!
This is an awesome dish – so glad you liked it! I’m still in awe of the things you can make in China and your ability to adapt them. 🙂
You had me at bacon, lol. Must make this soon!