Chicken bacon and mushroom fettucine

Serves:

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breasts or tenders
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 500g fresh or dry fettuccine
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter
• 2 rashers bacon, rind removed and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 300g (3 cups) mushrooms (any), sliced
• 1 cup beef stock (optional)
• ½ cup light sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Method

Brush chicken with oil. Bring a grill pan to medium heat and grill chicken until cooked through. Set aside and cover tightly with foil to keep warm.

Bring a large saucepan of water with ½ teaspoon salt to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and cook fettuccine according to packet directions making sure to stir every few minutes so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, begin the pasta sauce while the fettuccine cooks.

Heat a frying pan to medium heat, and add butter. Sauté bacon for 3 minutes, then add garlic, onion, mushrooms, and pepper, and cook until soft (approx. 5-8 minutes).

Add stock and let the sauce simmer for about 3 minutes.

Stir in sour cream, milk and parsley. Slice chicken and add to sauce.

Return the cooked pasta to the large saucepan it was cooked in and toss it together with the sauce.

Serve immediately with parmesan cheese.

Notes:

• If you’re looking for budget-friendly meals, I think this dish is just as delicious without the chicken or bacon! My husband loves it and he’s really fussy about ‘vegetarian’ dishes!
• If you feel like a more adult version of this recipes, try using a mixture of mushrooms such as button, shiitake, and a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms. Pour a cup of boiling water over the dried mushrooms, allowing them to steep in the water for ten minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water and reserve the water. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the sauce along with the other mushrooms. Replace the beef stock with the mushroom liquid. You can also add a small glass of white wine to the sauce along with the stock/liquid but be sure to let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes.
• I am addicted to fresh pasta! If you have the chance to buy some for this dish, do try it because fresh pasta takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness!.

This recipe was created by Kristine Duran-Thiessen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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