Chew on This | Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

Our family has a healthy passion for pasta.  The cubs just plain love it...they'll devour it with red or white sauce-heck, I've even seen them eat it uncooked! (Yuck, I know)

The lions, on the other hand, seem to prefer it cooked with a white velvety Alfredo sauce.

Nutmeg in the sauce and a dash of basil add a subtle flavor which is totally irresistible... add a juicy grilled chicken breast and you've got one reeeally special meal...it's standing ovation worthy! 

This is what you will need:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded Parmesan cheese, whipping cream, butter (not shown), garlic cloves, garlic powder, salt and pepper, basil dry and/or fresh, fettuccine (or you could use angel hair) pasta and a dash of grated nutmeg.

Let's make the sauce first.  Shred the Parmesan cheese.

Over a medium low heat, melt the butter and add the finely minced garlic, sauté for about 2 minutes...do not brown the garlic.

Remove from heat, add the cream, and gently stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese until blended.  Grate in the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Now let's get the chicken on the grill.  Spray the grill slightly with cooking spray and heat
it up! 

Place chicken on a hot grill and season with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Turn when golden.
 

While chicken is grilling...cook your pasta according to package directions.  Set aside and keep warm until ready to assemble the dish.

When sauce is made, chicken grilled and pasta cooked, it's time to assemble the dish and head for the table.  I like to combine a little of the Alfredo sauce and basil-dry and/or fresh-with the hot pasta first. Stir to combine and then divide the pasta among the serving plates. 

Top the pasta with the grilled chicken and a healthy amount of the Alfredo sauce.  Add a few fresh basil leaves to garnish the plate...now smile, and get ready to take a bow-remember the 'standing ovation' I told you about?

Mimi

Here is the recipe:

Grilled Chicken Alfredo

1/2 cup butter

2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

nutmeg, grated to taste
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
dry basil to sprinkle on pasta or a few whole fresh basil leaves to decorate plate
1 lb. box of pasta, fettuccine or angel hair

Alfredo Sauce:
Melt butter in skillet on medium heat. Lower heat and sauté finely grated garlic for 2 minutes or until tender. Don’t burn.  Remove from heat and stir in the cream.  Add in 1 ¼ cup of fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.  Stir until melted.  Grate a little fresh nutmeg into the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Chicken:
4-6  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sprinkle with a dash of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste, I used Spike this time.  It's a seasoning salt.
a sprinkle of  dry basil or a few fresh basil leaves to garnish the plate

Season each boneless, skinless chicken breast and place it on a hot grill which has been
lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Grill on each side.  When temperature reaches 160 degrees remove to serving platter. 

Pasta:
Make the pasta-fettuccine or angel hair-according to package directions and keep warm until
ready to serve.


To serve:
Mix a little of the warm Alfredo sauce and a dash of dry or fresh basil to the hot drained pasta and stir to blend.  Place desired amount of pasta on individual serving plates.  Top with the warm grilled chicken and top with a generous serving of Alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle with a dash of dry basil or garnish each plate with a few fresh basil leaves.  Serve warm and enjoy.