Pasta Carrabbas

By Addie

Carrabba's is one of our favorite chain Italian restaurants. We don't go very often, but when we do, we both really enjoy it. One of our favorite dishes is Pasta Carrabba - fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken, sautéed mushrooms and peas. Chicken Legs loves everything about this dish. I hate the peas and mushrooms, but love the chicken and sauce (I'm like that).

I ran across this copycat recipe of Pasta Carrabba and I knew we had to give it a try. It turned out fantastic! It was the best thing we ate last weekend. This was a really easy dish to make; it could easily be a weeknight meal. I whipped up the sauce while the chicken was on the grill. It literally only took about 10 minutes. Chicken Legs loved the fresh pasta in the dish and declared that he never wants dried pasta again. I guess I should look into getting a pasta attachment for my KitchenAid and learn to make pasta at home. (sounds like a good Christmas gift)

The chicken was extremely impressive - it is good enough to stand on its own. I was worried that it would taste too vinegary, but it didn't. It was great. Give this a try - I promise you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients

• Chicken:
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
• Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• .............................................
• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium shallots
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup half & half (or heavy cream)
• 3 oz fresh mushrooms (I used mushrooms from a jar)
• 1/2 cup frozen English peas
• Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• ..............................................
• Pasta:
• 1/2 (9 oz.) package fresh fettuccine
• 2 oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Details

Adapted from plainchicken.com

Preparation

Step 1

Combine vinegar, oil and basil. Pour over chicken and marinate overnight (I use a ziplock bag) in the refrigerator. Grill the breasts or bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and finely chop shallot. Saute in butter 1 minute. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add cream, salt and pepper to taste. Boil to reduce slightly to the consistency of a light sauce, just thick enough to coat a spoon. Add mushrooms, peas, and parmesan cheese and cook another 2 minutes.

Cook pasta, drain and shake out excess water. Thinly slice chicken. Add to pasta and gently toss with sauce, along with cheese. Serve immediately.