Weather: 23 degrees, new snowfall
What I’m listening to: Winter Song, Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson
One of my favorite romantic Christmas movies – I have many – is The Holiday (if you haven’t already seen it, I would recommend the t.v.-friendly edit). I have it sitting on my DVR right now waiting to be watched. In that movie, two characters share “Christmas fettuccine.” I don’t know if fettuccine on Christmas Eve is a tradition anywhere, but it just sounds perfect to me, so I have made it a tradition for the past few years. When better to have rich, creamy comfort food than at Christmastime?
Just recently, I was watching The Best Thing I Ever Made on Food Network, and Guy Fieri shared this recipe… and I thought to myself that the red sun-dried tomatoes and the green onions on a bed of white, cheesy noodles and spicy chicken would be a perfect, more festive, twist on the standard Christmas Fettuccine Alfredo. Christmas fettuccine with a kick.
And, in case you’re worried, my version is flavorful, but not too spicy. My third-grader ate two portions and declared it, “awesome.” I hope you enjoy it as much as he did.
Blackened Chicken Fettuccine
Adapted from Guy Fieri, Food Network
- For Blackening Spice Mix:
- 1t garlic powder
- 1t onion powder
- 1t pepper
- 1/2t salt
- 1/2t cumin
- 1/2t paprika
- 1/2t chili powder
- For Fettuccine:
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
- 1T olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3c half-and-half
- 1/2c sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1lb fettuccine
- 3/4c parmesan, grated
- 1/2c green onions, sliced on the bias
- salt
Mix blackening spices together in a shallow dish.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry and spread blackening spice mix evenly over both sides of chicken pieces, until coated. Place in hot, ungreased pan. Cook on each side until spices are blackened and fragrant and chicken is cooked through, about 5-6 minutes total. Set chicken aside on a plate.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook fettuccine until al dente, 12 minutes (or according to package directions). Drain.
While pasta is cooking, wipe out frying pan used for chicken. Turn heat to medium and add olive oil and garlic to the pan. Cook garlic until fragrant, but not brown, 1-2 minutes. Add half-and-half and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer and allow to reduce, 8-10 minutes.
Slice chicken on the bias.
To the sauce, add sun-dried tomatoes and chicken, and 1/2c of parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Salt to taste. Add hot noodles to sauce, combine. Plate and top with green onions and more parmesan cheese.
