This is a recipe I came up with the other night because I was needing something to feed the crew for supper, and I had made a new pizza the night before, and the ingredients were so good on it, I kept thinking about that yummy taste. I had some asparagus leftover, so quick as a flash the idea for it flew through my head and I got down to work.
So, without further ado, here it is!
Set your chicken breast to sauté with a little oil in a skillet on the stove. When it’s done, you’ll want to cube it and set aside.
Meanwhile, you can be working on the rest. Wash the bunch of asparagus, and cut into about 1 ½” pieces. Set into a bowl, add approximately ¾ to 1 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 4 minutes.
While the asparagus is cooking, wash and dice the Roma tomatoes. You can use all fresh tomatoes for this recipe, or 4 fresh Romas and then a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, which is what I happened to have on hand, so I used it.
Peel the garlic and mince, setting aside in a bowl. I just peeled it and kept the cloves waiting so at the right time I could use my garlic press and just press it right into the sauce.
In a 4-quart pot, start the roux by melting the butter, then adding the flour and mixing well with a whisk. Let it bubble for a minute…
…then slowly add some of the milk, stirring constantly to blend in. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the roux from around the outer edges and then use the whisk to blend in. Add the rest of the milk and keep stirring with the whisk, over medium heat, until it thickens.
Turn the heat down a little, and add the salt and pepper, and the parmesan cheese. Add the minced garlic if you did it up beforehand, or use a garlic press and press it right into the sauce.
Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times throughout.
Meanwhile, put water on to boil in another large pot for the linguine, and when boiling, add linguine and cook until al dente. Drain and place back in the pan with a little olive oil mixed in to keep from sticking.
After the sauce has cooked the aforementioned 10 minutes, add the asparagus and chicken and heat through. I basically let it heat until the linguine was done.
Place a portion of linguine on the plate and add a generous helping of the sauce on top. Enjoy! ~TMMF
Tomato Parmesan Chicken Linguine
(serves 6-8 with leftovers)
1 lb linguine
½ c butter
½ c flour
4 c milk
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 c parmesan cheese
6 Roma tomatoes
(or 3 Romas & a 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic
1 bunch asparagus
2-3 chicken breasts