Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Boscaiola - the delicious sauce


I almost forgot to write about this, but I had some pasta sheets left over from when I made this lasagne, so I had to figure out what to do with them. No, not more lasagne!

The solution was pappardelle, or some other thick, long pasta, with some sort of sauce. Do you like the precision of my thinking...’some sort of sauce’? I was going to do a meat ragu, but didn’t have the time or ingredients handy, so that will have to wait.

This is a take on a creamy boscaiola sauce, but I tried to keep it in check by using reduced fat cream, which is perfect for cancelling out the effects of the butter. Bacon bits are also optional, but I do like them and had them on hand. If I’d had some spinach, I would have added that as well, to cancel out the effect of the bacon.


Smoked Chicken and Mushroom Boscaiola

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 lasagne sheets, cut into 2cm strips
250g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
30g butter (or use 2 tbls olive oil)
75g chopped bacon
1 cup (250ml) light thickened cream
1 smoked chicken breast, shredded
½ cup grated parmesan, and extra, to serve

Method

1. Melt butter in a large frypan over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 3 mins, until softened. Transfer to a plate.

2. Cook bacon in the same pan, for about 4 mins, until the bacon is golden brown.

3. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 3 mins, until the cream thickens slightly.

4. Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add lasagne strips and cook for 3 mins, until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

5. Add the mushrooms to the cream mixture, then add the smoked chicken and ½ cup grated parmesan. Cook for 2 mins, to warm through. If you want, add some baby spinach leaves at the end.

6. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta and stir to combine. Serve with extra parmesan.



Ingredients (bacon not shown)
Cook mushrooms in butter; cook bacon in butter; cook pasta in water

6 comments:

  1. I have sliced up lasange to make pappardelle too! I really love your third photo, the collage concept makes it really interesting.

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  2. mmm, that sounds like a really hearty sauce!

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  3. Now that I've seen the pappardelle made from lasagne sheets a couple times I really want to do it, it's such a good idea. Looks delicious, I love a good creamy mushroom and bacon sauce though I've never tried it with smoked chicken before!

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  4. YUmmm next time im coming over ur place for dinner! lol

    your photos always look so mouthwatering. I should do more cooking instead of eating out..

    Cooking for one isnt much fun =( boo.. the thought about cleaning up is such a pain lol..

    one day one dayy i will get around to it... maybe even bake something if im in the mood..

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  5. Ah delicious! Love using smoked chicken in place of regular chicken. Such pasta weather nowdays!

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  6. hi Megan - cutting lasagne sheets to make pappardelle is great - it's like you made the pasta yourself!

    hi Arwen - it's tasty, but not too heavy. Really nice.

    hi Steph - Give it a go, it's really easy. And smoked chicken is my fave go-to meat for when flavour is needed.

    hi Leona - I found I eat out less these days because I enjoy cooking! And you should try baking some cookies or cupcakes and take them to work. Perfect for making friends and influencing people (and it saves you from eating them all yourself!).

    hi Lorraine - Yes, smoked chicken has so much flavour, and no cooking required!

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