Like lots of others, right now I'm looking for ways to use leftovers and pantry items, to avoid extra trips to the grocery, and to save money. I had leftover cooked chicken and some mushrooms in the refrigerator that I needed to use. I had pasta in the pantry, but alas, no cream, so this dish kind of "grew like Topsy" with ingredients I already had on hand--a partial bottle of white wine, frozen peas, and parsley right outside the door. My son said, "Hey, this is almost like carbonara," and the name was born!
Ingredients
- slices bacon: 4 piece
- penne pasta: 1 pack (16 ounce pack)
- extra-virgin olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- unsalted butter: 1 Tbsp
- onion, vertically: 1 piece (sliced)
- fresh mushrooms: 1 pack (8 ounce pack, sliced)
- fresh garlic: 2 Tbsp (minced)
- italian seasoning: 2 tsp (dried)
- salt and ground black pepper: (to taste)
- white wine: 1 cup
- chicken stock: 3 cups (divided)
- chopped, cooked chicken: 2 cups
- ½ cups frozen petite peas: 1 piece
- all-purpose flour: 5 Tbsp
- Parmesan cheese: 1 cup (to taste, grated)
- fresh Italian parsley: 0.25 cup (minced)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and crumble when cool enough to handle.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
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At the same time, heat olive oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until butter is melted and oil is hot. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and evenly distribute the contents in the skillet.
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Stir in wine and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Pour in 2 cups chicken stock, add cooked chicken and peas, and bring to a boil.
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While mixture is coming to a boil, place flour in a pint jar with a lid. Slowly add remaining chicken stock to the jar, stirring briskly to break up any lumps. Place the lid on the jar and shake until well blended. Slowly pour flour-stock mixture into the boiling mixture and stir to prevent lumps. Return to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
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Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese until melted. Pour the hot sauce onto the pasta, add parsley and crumbled bacon, and stir to combine. Serve in individual bowls with additional Parmesan, if desired.
