Dreamy Not-so-creamy Chicken Pasta

This was my go-to dish as a kid when we used to visit our local Italian restaurant. I couldn’t get enough of it — but then again I never really understood what I was eating. Funnily enough, this version is so convincing I felt guilty eating it the first time I made it. Minus the chives, it’s the perfect ‘white diet’ food that even young children will love.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

  • 300 g (101⁄2 oz) long pasta of your choice, such as linguine

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 250 g (9 oz) boneless, skinless free-range chicken breast or tenderloins, cut into 1.5 cm (5⁄8 inch) pieces

  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mushrooms, such as Swiss browns, cleaned and thinly sliced

  • 3 cups (750 ml) White sauce (recipe below)

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or mixed Italian herbs

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (optional)

METHOD

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions.

  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden. Remove the chicken to a bowl and keep warm.

  3. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes, or until golden, tossing the pan constantly. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium–low.

  4. Once the pasta is cooked, immediately remove the pasta from the boiling water with tongs and drop it straight into the pan of mushrooms. Add the white sauce and herbs, return the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through.

  5. Serve sprinkled with the chives, if desired.

2.5 serves veg per serve

1 serve protein per serve 

50% RDI fibre per serve 

No added sugars

WHITE SAUCE

White sauce or bechamel is up there for me, but the dishes it normally finds itself in are usually rich, leaving you feeling heavy and in most cases should only be eaten occasionally. The colour of this sauce is hugely helpful if you’re dealing with fussy eaters on the ‘white food diet’.

METHOD

  1. Add the cauliflower, butter, garlic, beans, pepper and nutmeg in a saucepan with 1 cup water, season well with salt, cover with a lid and place over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. 

  2. Add the parmesan and ricotta and blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt.

batch cook | make ahead 

You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively, if you have excess cauliflower, prepare the recipe it up until the point of transferring the cooked onion and garlic, cauliflower, 1/2 cup cooking liquid to the blender, to an airtight container instead and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw out in the fridge and resume recipe. 

divide and conquer

You can increase the mushrooms for vegans, and add different ones to mix it up; use olive oil and omit the cheese when making the white sauce, replacing the ricotta for silken tofu. Cook and serve the chicken separately.

INGREDIENTS Makes approximately 1.25 litres (5 cups)

  • 750 g trimmed cauliflower, roughly chopped, including the stem

  • 50 g butter or 50 ml extra virgin olive oil, or a combination of the two

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

  • 400 g (14 oz) tin cannellini beans, drained well 

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

  • Large pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

  • 50 g finely grated parmesan, pecorino or provolone (optional) 

  • 100 g ricotta cheese