Saturday, April 28, 2012

Chicken and Noodles with Parmesan and Tomato Cream Sauce






From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It has been such a lovely week. The Silver Fox is feeling better, the staples have been removed from his incision and he is strong enough to pace up and down the ski-slope we laughingly call our driveway. While it has been been damp, occasional sun breaks dry the flowers still clinging tenaciously to our  trees.  The apple trees have begun to lose their blossoms, and when the wind gusts, petals drop in waves like fragrant snow. Spring here is a season of aching beauty that I wish all of you could see. There is other good news to report as well. Most of us laugh at the phrase, technical support. Believe it or not, it actually exists. I had a pleasant and productive encounter with the support team at Photobucket this week. They were pleasant and professional and I want to publicly thank Peggy and her team for solving a problem I could not handle on my own. Kudos, guys.


We've been eating a lot of noodles and pasta the past few weeks. This recipe is one of my own and my healing husband thought it should be added to the collection I maintain here. While the recipe is original, the idea behind it comes from a butter enriched tomato concasse  that Craig Claiborne featured in the original New York Times Menu Cookbook. That recipe used nearly a stick of butter and a half cup of heavy cream. I cannot lie to you, it was delicious, and back in the day when our metabolisms ran quicker than common sense, I made it often. It was so flavorful that I've worked at developing a recipe that had the flavor, if not the richness of that fondly remembered dish. At this time, the only thing the two recipes have in common is the use of tomatoes and egg noodles. This is a lovely quick casserole for a family supper. Deli rotisserie chicken eliminates the need to poach a chicken, and most of the butter and all of the cream have been eliminated, so, this stand-in bears almost no resemblance to its prototype. Is it as good? Honestly, no, but it is delicious in its own right and it is much better for you than Craig's version. One of the ingredients I use in the recipe is a concentrated sun-dried tomato paste made by Amore. It adds enormous flavor to the sauce that binds the chicken and noodles together and I urge you to use it if you can. I am not being compensated for my recommendation and I rarely specify a brand in my recipes. When I do, it's because I've found the product to be best of show. I hope you'll you'll give this dish a try. It is a great family meal. Here's the recipe.

Chicken and Noodles with Parmesan and Tomato Cream Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
One-Step Sauce Aurore
1-1/2 cups cold milk
2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour (i.e. Wondra)
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon concentrated sun-dried tomato paste (i.e. Amore)
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided use
Casserole Mixture
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 cups cooked egg noodles

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Light spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) To make sauce Aurore: Combine milk, flour, butter, salt and pepper in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in sun-dried tomato paste, tarragon, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
2) To make casserole mixture: Heat butter and oil in 12-inch skillet. When butter has melted, add onions and cook until transparent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sir in tomatoes and parsley. Cook until tomatoes soften, but do not cook them to a pulp. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cooked noodles to pan. Add tomato sauce and stir until all ingredients are combined. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top mixture with reserved 1/4 cup cheese and bake until heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.

This post is being linked to Flowers for Leontien at A Rural Journal.








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Two Years Ago Today: Turnip Griddle Cakes















Three Years Ago Today: Crock-Pot Asian Short Ribs of Beef

32 comments :

Chiara said...

This looks delicious and so italian Mary!have a great weekend, blessings my dear...

Ailyn Sánchez said...

Great recipe as usual....have a present for you here...http://cocina-quetecocina.blogspot.com/2012/04/ceviche-de-mero-y-mariquitas-de-platano.html

Jeannie said...

So glad to hear everything is going well, and spring certainly looks beautiful from that photo of the blossoms, I know I will enjoy this delicious looking noodles too, beautifully plated! Hope you have a great weekend Mary:)

Pondside said...

This sounds yummy.
I'm glad that The Silver Fox is up and about!

Lynn said...

No doubt I would like this dinner! So glad to hear your hubby is doing well-Happy Weekend:@)

Coleens Recipes said...

Comfort food at its best!!

Rita said...

Happy to read you man is feeling better. Love this kind of pasta and anxious to try it. Your blossoms remind me of Spring... we are still waiting for it.
Rita

Cindy@NorthofWiarton said...

I am truly happy the Silver Fox is regaining his strength. I so love pasta, with this recipe sounding so simply delish. As always thanks for sharing with so many, Mary ...
we are still waiting for our apple trees to blossom here on the Bruce Peninsula.

Diane said...

This sounds lovely I don't know why I do not use noodles more often!
Good that the Silver Fox has his appetite back and that all is going well. Take care Diane

Big Dude said...

Your recipe sounds delicious. Glad hubby is progressing well.

From the Kitchen said...

lovely! i'm putting this in my recipe file under "uses for leftover roast chicken". glad to hear the Silver Fox continues well on the recovery road.

best
bonnie

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am happy to hear that life is returning to normal including devouring dishes that are lower in calories that their more caloric buddies.

Susan Lindquist said...

I will save this recipe for a night when I must splurge and have a pasta and sauce laden meal, Mary! It looks just wonderful! Pasta has always been my favorite comfort food and this dish is just what is needed in the way of carb comfort!

Will be posting this week's 50 Woman post a bit late, as life got in my way yesterday ... oops!

Ana Regalado said...

I'm one of those people whose addicted to pasta/noodles so yes , another great recipe to keep ! Glad that hubby's doing well :)

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Your delicious cooking will have the Silver Fox back in perfect condition before you know it. Your recipe sounds great. I agree about the tomato paste...I keep a tube of it in my refrigerator at all times.

Alicia said...

Another great recipe Mary. So cool that it is one of your own. I would try it but I promised myself I would make your Peruvian Beef and Potato Soup today. It just sounds so delicious!

So glad to hear your husband is healing well. He has a great nurse!

Tanna said...

wonderful news that the Silver Fox is out walking! this recipe is definitely going in my box. thank you, Mary!! blessings ~ tanna
ps glad you sent flowers to Leontien. she is such a special young woman.

Claudia said...

I am loving how your lightened this. My days of sticks of butter AND cream are done. It was fun - but there's other fun to be had. Glad the Silver Fox is doing well! Happy spring!

Blond Duck said...

My husband would love this!

TexWisGirl said...

thank you for joining w/ flowers for leontien!

BeetleBuggy said...

Glad your husband's feeling better! This dish sounds absolutely yummy even without the butter and cream you mentioned Craig's is filled with. Love the idea of that sundried tomato paste. I've never tried it so I'm going to hunt for that.

Angela said...

Looks fabulous.

SImple and Serene Living said...

This sounds, delicious as always, Mary. So glad that your husband continues to feel better. I have been a bit under the weather, so I am trying to catch up on my reading. I hate when I miss your posts.
Laura

Kim said...

The flowers on this apple tree are absolutely gorgeous!!! I'm happy for you, your husband feeling better is perfect!!! Love your pastas by the way;)

Joanne said...

Sounds like the silver fox is making a speedy recovery! That's definitely what i like to hear. I've been craving a simple pasta dish like this a lot lately. Looks so tasty to me!

grubarazzi said...

Gorgeous recipe. So glad your husband is on the mend. I can see why he would want you to share this recipe.

Becki's Whole Life said...

This is a great dish, Mary and one my whole family would enjoy. I always have that tomato paste in my fridge and it adds such great flavor to dishes. I love that its in a tube and you can just take what you need. Also, since it is concentrated a little goes a long way.

Ginny Hartzler said...

This looks wonderful! I cannot believe your tech support story!!!

raquel@eRecipe.com said...

Its good to hear your husband is getting well. This dish will definitely make him feel better. I would love to have this lovely quick casserole for my family. =)

Buttons Thoughts said...

Thank you for linking to Flowers for Leontien the flower was perfect. Love your recipes too. B

June said...

You brought tears to my eyes with your description of springtime in the Willamette Valley. Ah memories! So glad the Silver Fox is feeling better. Bless you both!

Danielle said...

This reminds me of a jazzed up chicken casserole. It looks and sounds delicious.

Thank you so much for your very kind words on my latest SRC post. I'm glad you stopped by (:

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