Chicken Bellagio

So, my newest favorite thing to get at the Cheesecake Factory is their Chicken Bellagio. It is truly amazing - get it if you are going there soon, if not you can make it at home!!! We tried it yesterday and YUM! I hope you like it.

CHICKEN BELLAGIO

FOR THE GARLIC BASIL PESTO:
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. pine nuts or walnuts (optional)
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or microplaned or grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

FOR THE PROTEIN:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices Prosciutto, room temperature

FOR THE BREADING:
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. oregano

FOR FRYING:
4 Tbsp. olive oil or enough to coat bottom of pan with 1/4 in. of oil

FOR THE PASTA:
6 oz. angel hair pasta
2 Tbsp. garlic pesto sauce

FOR THE PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
3 Tbsp. garlic pesto sauce
1/3 cup Parmsan-Reggiano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper

FOR THE SALAD/GARNISH:
1 cup washed arugula
half a cup of shredded or grated fresh parmigiana regianno

To prepare the garlic basil pesto, add all of the ingredients for the pesto to a food processor and pulse until well blended; set aside.

Pound out the chicken breasts one at a time in between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a ziploc bag until flattened out evenly.

In a bowl, mix salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley into the bread crumbs to season.

Coat the breasts in flour, and then dip in the beaten egg, and then into the seasoned bread crumbs. Coat completely flipping the breasts over a few times to completely coat. Refrigerate the breasts on a plate for 15 minutes, uncovered, to get the seasoned bread crumbs to really stick. Remove the Prosciutto from the fridge and allow to reach room temperature for ease of separation.

Boil the pasta in salted water until done, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low until needed.

To prep the parmesan cream sauce, add heavy cream to a saute pan and bring the cream to a simmer, and incorporate the basil pesto. Add salt and white pepper to taste, and as it begins to thicken, add the parmesan cheese and stir vigorously to incorporate it. Continue to stir until it thickens more. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Heat a non stick or well seasoned cast iron skillet over medium low to medium heat. Add olive oil and fry the breasts on the first side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, dip each slice of Prosciutto into the hot oil for 10 to 15 seconds, and then place on each chicken breast (2 for each breast, overlapped). Use a thermometer to insure perfect doneness of the breasts. (I pull mine at internal temp of 150F). Place on plate in oven to keep warm.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Stir in garlic basil pesto. Place the pasta on a plate. Pour some of the cream sauce over the pasta. Add the chicken breasts with the Prosciutto slices facing upwards. Top the breasts with more cream sauce. Top with arugula. Drizzle the arugula with some extra virgin olive oil.

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO

This is a recipe that Jimmy wanted to try. He saw it on tv this morning, found it online, emailed it to me, and then made it for dinner. It's not one that I would ever think I'd like because I'm not a huge fan of garlic, but it was tasty. Jimmy said it was "awesome." It was also very quick and easy.

Perhaps it would be twice as good if we had really used all the fresh ingredients, but alas, we used petite diced canned tomatoes drained, dried basil, minced garlic, no pepperoncini (ummmm since we have no idea what that is), and plain ol' parmesan.  I actually thought it could be a good food storage type recipe except for the roasted almonds which we wouldn't exactly have on hand.

We thought sauteed zucchini & chicken would go great with this dish.

Anyhoo... here it is... found at bakespace.com

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTO
Servings: 4-6
1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)
Table salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

VARIATION TO ABOVE RECIPE:


1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 pound grilled steak, chopped


Saute onion, green pepper, and fresh mushrooms in olive oil until tender crisp. Remove from heat, stir in steak. Toss with cooked pasta. Add pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add pasta cooking water, if necessary.

Ravioli Lasagna

1 package (20-25 oz) Ravioli (I use the frozen kind), prepared according to package directions, drained
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese (cottage cheese works too)
1 package (10 oz) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 jar marinara sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13-inch pan. Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs and milk in a bowl. Layer the Ravioli, cheese mixture and sauce a few times, then top with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 pound Fettuccine (or other type of pasta)
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 - 2/3 cup heavy cream
black pepper

Cook fettuccine to your favorite state of doneness. Drain. Melt butter over low heat. Add Fettuccine and toss well. Add cheese and toss gently until they are melted and blended. Add cream and sprinkle with as much pepper as you like. When cream is blended with butter and cheese remove pan form heat and serve.

Creamy Pasta with Asparagus, Parmesan, and Crispy Prosciutto

Creamy Pasta With Asparagus, Parmesan, and Crispy Prosciutto

Serves 4

Four finely chopped strips of bacon can be substituted for the prosciutto.

1	tablespoon olive oil
4	ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , cut into 1/4-inch strips (see note)
1	garlic clove , minced
1	cup heavy cream
2	tablespoons lemon juice
	Salt and pepper
1	pound fusilli or penne
1	pound asparagus , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2	cups grated Parmesan cheese
3/4	cup chopped fresh basil

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Cook prosciutto until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cream and lemon juice and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until just beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus to pot and cook until bright green and tender and pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, drain pasta and asparagus, and return to pot. Add sauce, 1/2 cup reserved cooking water, cheese, and basil to pot and toss to combine, adding remaining cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle portions with crispy prosciutto. Serve.

Pasta al forno

I got this recipe from Jan, who got it from someone in her ward, who went to Italy and got this recipe from one of the families she stayed with. It kind of take a long time to make, but it is so good. If you have a chopper I would use it to chop all the veggies.

Pasta al forno
1 lb. sausage (optional)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
2 mushrooms finely chopped
3-5 cloves garlic minced
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 lb. Rigatoni pasta
mozzarella cheese
fresh or dried Basil

Brown sausage. Remove sausage, leaving pan dippings. (Add some olive oil if you choose not to use sausage). Add carrots, celery, and mushrooms to pan and "sweat" (cook for several minutes until tender). Add onion and garlic and saute' for several minutes.

Add can of tomatoes, with salt, pepper, and basil to taste. Simmer about 20-30 minutes.

Cook pasta al dente. In large baking dish, put a tiny bit of sause on bottom. Layer 1/3 pasta, the 1/3 cream, then 1/3 cheese, then 1/3 sauce twice. On the last layer, switch sauce and cheese so you end up with cheese on top. Cover and bake 45 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake til cheese is bubbly. Add Parmesan at table.