Another recipe struck me on Pinterest this morning, while I was waiting for Col to get out of bed. It looked simple, like I had everything to hand in my now pretty clean and tidy pantry and like it wouldn’t take too long to make – not to mention, the picture looked pretty tasty!
It’s definitely easy (though I started with my heat up too high and the butter/flour mixture was a bit gloopy!), it’s tasty and something a little different to just having pasta and chicken. The mustard and wine gives it a depth of flavour that you can sometimes be lacking when you do a chicken and pasta dish.
I also threw in some frozen peas and would have added mushrooms and carrots if I’d not been lazy and impatient to eat! lol!
For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp dry mustard
1 T fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T olive oil (I used PAM/Spray fat)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken pieces. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.
For the pasta:
1 pound rotini or other short cut pasta (I used Farfalle)
2 T butter (used margarine)
2 T flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 T Dijon mustard (I used Honey Dijon)
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk (I used skim milk but mixed in about 2 T heavy cream)
1 T fresh thyme
1 T fresh oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (Didn’t use this!)
Parmesan cheese to taste
Heat water to boil in a large stock pot for pasta, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente and drain according to directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add wine, garlic, onions, and mustard. Cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce. Add thyme and oregano and serve topped with crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.