Penne 'A La Wine'

Every once in a while I find a recipe that sounds so good that I just want to make it now and think I can tweak it to be able to make it with what we have on hand. Sometimes the result is great and sometimes it's not. This wasn't my best attempt but the flavor was so amazing that I thought I would share the original, my attempt, and some suggestions. 

My recipe is adapted from Rachel Ray Penne 

Butter and olive oil

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed (this would be great with shrimp too)

6 Cloves of garlic, minced

2 Shallots, minced 

1 Cup white wine

1 Cup chicken stock 

2 14oz Cans diced tomatoes, run through food processor to break down further 

16oz pasta, such as penne or rigatoni 

1/2 Cup heavy cream

1 tsp red pepper flake 

Fresh basil, shredded 

Parmesan, shredded 

Brown your chicken in some butter and oil. 

In a LARGE skillet melt 1 Tbs butter and 1 Tbs olive oil over medium heat. Sweat the shallots and garlic until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add wine to the pan and reduce by 1/2, this should take about 3 minutes. (I think this was the start of our issues, make sure that your heat is high enough and that your wince actually reduces by 1/2 before you move on) Add chicken stock (not broth) and tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a roaring boil, reduce heat and simmer to reduce. 

At the point you want to get your pasta going. ** Do NOT try to save time by boiling your pasta when you start the sauce, I am pretty sure my rush was part of the reason why my sauce was so thin** The tomato mixture should simmer for the duration of pasta preparation. Once you get the pasta going you have a little down time to make a salad or garlic bread or whatever delicious side you want to serve. 

Just before your pasta is ready to drain, stir the cream and red pepper into the mixture, bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Toss sauce with drained pasta and top with basil and shredded parmesan. Serve immediately. 

Like I said before, the flavor of this was delicious but our sauce was SUPER thin! I think they key with this recipe is patience. Taking the time to let the sauce simmer and thicken after each round of additions is a necessity. Also, I think the addition of some garlic powder or garlic salt could make a big difference on this dish. I would love to hear how it turned out for someone else! If you make it please the a moment to leave us a comment about your experience! 

I hope you enjoy! 

<3 The Boilers MJK