I made this for dinner yesterday, and it was memorable in every way. It's a highly-perfumed dish of chicken, mushrooms, onion, and garlic, all bathed in a red wine-and-cream sauce, and spooned over gluten-free pasta. Here's the simple step-by-step:
Note: Who's the "Garibaldi" in Penne Rigate Garibaldi? I haven't a clue. My quick Wiki search turned up zilch. If you have the answer, then by all means talk to me in the comments field below!
Update: Reader Linda solved the mystery: Garibaldi was one of the “Founding Fathers” of Italy. He was a General turned Politician
and was a force in the Unification of Italy in the mid 1800′s.
First things first: Bring 4 quarts of generously salted water (it should taste like seawater) to a full, rapid boil.
While you wait for the water to boil, grab a couple of chicken breasts. If the breasts are particularly thick, cut them lengthwise in half with a sharp knife.
Slice and dice the chicken, and set aside.
Next, take a small(ish) yellow onion...
And dice it, baby.
Chop some fat garlic cloves, too.
Do you know the easy way to peel garlic? Just smash the cloves with a bottom of a stout drinking glass. The papery peel will slip right off.
Also, slice up 8 ounces of common white mushrooms. Or, just do what I did, and purchase the fungi already sliced.
If you plan to garnish this Penne Garibaldi with parsley (and why wouldn't you?), this is the time to mince the leaves.
Now put some butter and olive oil in a big skillet (I used my electric version), and warm them over medium heat.
Add the chicken, and stir frequently with a polka-dotted spatula until the morsels are brown on both sides -- about 7 minutes.
Then stir in the onion, lower heat, and cover the skillet. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent -- about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, and saute for exactly 60 seconds.
Then stir in the mushrooms.
Add the Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and grinds of black pepper.
Turn up the heat, take a deep breath, and tip 3/4 cup Marsala wine into the mixture. As the wine hits the pan, it will immediately release an intoxicating perfume. Cook until the wine reduces by half -- about 5 minutes.
Note: Marsala wine is dreadful for drinking. But it's delicious for cooking!
Then add 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock (click here for my homemade version), and let the liquid bubble for about 4 minutes. Ah, more perfume.
While humming this fun tune, stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream (yes -- heavy cream!). Let it bubble until the sauce thickens -- about 3 minutes.
Now drop 16 ounces of pasta into the pot of furiously boiling water.
Which pasta? Well, Rigatoni is traditional.
Since I'm making this dish for my gluten-avoiding spouse, I used gluten-free Penne Rigate.
A short rant: Why can't the sellers of gluten-free pasta package their products in the same sizes as their non-gluten-free counterparts? I mean, traditional pasta is commonly sold by the pound, or 16 ounces. But not gluten-free pastas! They are packaged in 12-ounce boxes and bags. Thus I had to purchase 2 bags, and ended up with half a bag leftover.
In any event, cook the pasta until al dente -- firm to the tooth. My gluten-free penne was ready in 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
To serve, put some pasta on a plate, and top it with a generous amount of the chicken mixture and a healthy amount of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
Did someone say "cheese?"
Sprinkle the works with minced parsley.
Then pour some decent Italian red wine...
I used this one -- it's full-bodied, like a Cabernet...
And tuck into this comforting, highly-aromatic, screamingly-delicious Penne Rigate Garibaldi!
Here's the copy-and-paste:
Penne Rigate Garibaldi
Kevin Lee Jacobs's version of a classical Italian dish
Ingredients for 4 servings
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chickens breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs total), diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small-to-medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
1 generous teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grinds of black pepper
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
16 ounces Penne Rigate or Rigatoni pasta (gluten-free will work)
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Garnish: freshly minced flat-leaved Parsley
Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil.
In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over a medium flame. Add the diced chicken, and cook, stirring frequently, until browned -- about 7 minutes.
Stir in the onion, cover the skillet, and lower the heat. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent -- about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Return the heat to "medium," and add the mushrooms, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and Marsala wine. Cook until the wine reduces by half -- about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, and let it boil for about 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, and cook and stir until the sauce thickens -- about 3 minutes. Keep warm.
Cook the pasta until al dente. If you are using gluten-free Penne Rigate, the cooking time will be 10 minutes. Drain well.
To serve, divide the pasta between 4 plates. Top with the chicken sauce and shredded Parmesan cheese, and, if you wish, a sprinkle of parsley. Delicious with a hunk of crusty sour dough boule, and goblets of a good, full-bodied Italian or French red wine.
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