My son, Reggie, and I made this when he was still a teenager. We have both changed the way we cook since then, so I am posting this again, complete with a fabulous photograph by Laurel.
Ingredients:
¾ to 1 pound cubed chicken
Chicken tenders or boneless thighs are both good shortcut items.
Sauce:
½ cup butter
1/3 cup flour - any kind
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 package ribbon noodles
1. Put the chicken into a baking dish covered with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Season the chicken with any combination of curry powder, chili powder blend, salt, pepper, and add a little butter, olive oil, or bacon grease. The oil is more important if you are using all white meat since it has so little fat in it.
2. While the chicken is baking, make a white sauce, and cook the noodles.
a) Melt the butter and flour over a medium high heat until the butter is bubbling.
b) Slowly add stock and milk while continuing to stir.
d) Continue stirring and add garlic,salt, pepper, Worcestershire.
e) When the sauce is smooth and has the consistency of thick gravy, turn off the heat, add grated cheese. Cover and set aside.
3. Put 4 quarts water into a large spaghetti pot with 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add ribbon noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
4. When chicken is done, place the pieces on a cutting board and cut into pieces about ½ inch square. Put the pieces into the white sauce and stir.
5. When the noodles are done, drain them and pour into them into the chicken and sauce mixture.
Note: If your sauce has thickened a little too much, add some of the pasta water to get it back to the right consistency.
Art is the signature of civilizations. Beverly Sills
