Spaghetti Tetrazzini
I usually eat pretty healthily, I balance my meals and I make sure to get my greens. But pasta is my weakness, I’m telling you. I order it in restaurants more often than anything else, and it’s my starch of choice to cook. Throw some cheese in there, and oh man, am I in heaven.
Spaghetti tetrazzini is a departure from the traditional mac and cheese that most baked pasta dishes steer towards. Adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe, this dish uses less dairy than usual and includes chicken and mushrooms, so it’s not as unhealthy as you might think. It’s pretty easy to make too; after assembly, just pop in in the oven and you’re done.
Ingredients:
2/3 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 chicken thighs, boned, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 cups of white or cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound dried spaghetti
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
One sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked and torn
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them and soak for a few minutes. Heat a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients, and pour two teaspoons olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil. Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Saute for two minutes.
2. Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down. Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little, about five minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. Add the cream to the pan of chicken, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all of the basil and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish, sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving.