This Is My Favorite Dish To Order At Olive Garden. Now I Can Make It Anytime I Want

One of the fun things about going out to dinner is that you don’t have to fuss or rush through eating. You can just sit and relax. Savor your food and conversation. But why do we wait until we are out to dinner to dine by candle light? When we were growing up we ate by candle light ever single night until I was in high school. It was so relaxing and jset a great mood for being together as a family. Now that I look back on it I realize it was also because my dad had never installed the pendant above the table. But,when you are a kid that is just a minor detail. I think I will pick up a set of candles next time I am out doing errands and when my family asks what the special occasion is I will let them know that being together is special.

Ziti Chicken With Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz ziti or other pasta of choice
• 4 small chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup sun dried tomato, cut into strips (Note 1)
• 1 cup baby spinach (optional)
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, sliced

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook ziti according to packet directions MINUS 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Pound to 1″ thickness if they are thicker than that.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
4.  Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes on each side, then remove onto a plate, cover loosely with foil to rest.
5. Melt butter in the skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute.
6. Add mushrooms and cook until golden – about 2 minutes.
7. Add broth, cream, parmesan and sun dried tomato. Stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer rapidly for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
8. Season sauce to taste with more salt and pepper.
9. Add pasta, cooking water and baby spinach. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
10. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to serving plates. Top with chicken then spoon over remaining sauce in the skillet. Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan. Serve!

 

Quick Tip: The sauce for the pasta for this recipe is more generous than most, creating enough to provide a sauce for the chicken as well.  If you would like even more sauce, add more cream and parmesan – 2 tsp of parmesan for every 1/4 cup extra cream, and don’t forget to season to taste!

Recipe and image courtesy of Holly at Spend With Pennies