Creamy Pappardelle with Chicken & Bacon

This quick comfort food dish uses store-bought rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. I loved the freshness and pop of color from the fresh herbs and the minced carrot.

The recipe was adapted from Antoni Let’s Do Dinner by Antoni Porowski of Queer Eye. My daughter and I are big Antoni fans! 🙂 I modified the proportions. Next time I would reduce the amount of chicken meat- just personal preference.

Yield: Serves 8

• coarse salt
• 8 oz bacon (about 5 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide pieces
• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 large garlic cloves, gently smashed and peeled
• 1/2 T chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 T coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 16 oz pappardelle (I used two 227 g packages)
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 4 to 6 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, at room temperature (I used 6 cups but would reduce the amount next time)
• freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
• coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving, optional

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta and sauce or a wide heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until just cooked through with crispy edges, about 5 minutes. (I used an enameled cast iron pan.)
3. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
4. Add the onion, garlic, sage, rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, add the pappardelle and carrots to the boiling water and cook until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
7. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
8. Add the pasta to the sauce with 3/4 cups of the pasta water, the chicken, and the reserved bacon. Toss to combine.
9. Add more pasta water to loosen the sauce, if desired.
10. Top with cheese, parsley, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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