CREAMY CHICKEN & CARROT FETTUCCINE

 This recipe is based on a pasta I adored as a child. If you grew up in Wellington in the 90’s and ate Rosa’s fresh pastas and sauces, you might remember this insanely good one. The addition of carrot to this creamy sauce gives it a really nice sweetness. I quite often make it with left over shredded chicken after a roast but poached chicken breasts would also work well. 

I am thrilled to be an ambassador for Waitoa free range chicken. I have been buying their chickens for years as they are ethically grown and really high quality. All Waitoa products have been certified by the SPCA and meet all their independent standards.

Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 & 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 roast chicken breasts, shredded, roughly 450g
3 tablespoons cornflour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
Cracked black pepper
Salt
500g fresh fettuccine pasta

METHOD

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

Sweat onions in oil and butter over a low heat until soft and translucent. Add the thyme and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken and fry for a further 1 minute.

In a small saucepan, bring chicken stock to a simmer. Add 2 tablespoons of the cornflour and whisk until cornflour has completely dissolved. Then, add the mixture to the chicken pan. 

Simmer for 5 minutes then add the cream and nutmeg and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Stir through the carrot and parmesan and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until sauce has thickened.

If the sauce appears thin, take the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornflour and place in a small ramekin, add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and mix until a paste forms. Gradually add that to the sauce, checking thickness as you add. 

Drain pasta and add to sauce. If sauce is too thick, pour a little pasta water into the dish. Season with salt and lots of cracked pepper.