Chicken Sauce with Linguini

To download a copy of the recipe for Chicken Sauce with Linguini, click HERE.

Just to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with the classic idea of topping linguini with a well-made clam sauce. It’s just that a “classic” – whether a book, movie, song, or food – is something that, because it’s so good, has been around for a long time and is familiar and comfortable to almost everyone. I like the idea of making something good; I just want to make it in a way that’s not so familiar.

And that’s where Chicken Sauce with Linguini comes in. Rather than serving some chicken on top of a plate of pasta, this is an actual chicken-based sauce, prepared in the style of a classic clam sauce, served with linguini in much the way clam sauce usually is. The chicken sauce even looks a lot like clam sauce, due largely to the fact that chicken that’s been cut up very small bears a striking resemblance to clams that have been cut up very small. But make no mistake; the taste and aroma are distinctly chicken, and are an ideal complement to the pasta.

Since the amount of chicken used is quite small, about 4 ounces, this is an ideal way to make use of a bit of leftover cooked chicken that’s too small to be a meal by itself. If you don’t have any leftover chicken you can, of course, cook a small amount up fresh. And if you don’t feel like cooking such a small amount of chicken, using a 6.5 ounce can of canned chicken breast also works well.

This recipe makes four servings.

Finely chop four ounces of cooked chicken and set aside.

Warm 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds – 1 minute.

Add ¼ cup of dry white wine (chardonnay or similar) to the skillet and cook for a few minutes till reduced to about half.

Add the chicken, ½ cup of chicken broth, 1 Tbsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper, and 1 Tbsp bread crumbs to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking in the skillet, drop 1 pound of uncooked linguini into a pot of salted boiling water. Cook the linguini one minute less than recommended on the package.

Drain the linguini, reserving ½ cup of the starchy pasta water. Add the linguini to the skillet and mix to combine.

Add some of the pasta water and 3 Tbsp of butter substitute. Mix until the linguini is combined with the sauce. Cook till the pasta is done.

Top with fresh grated parmesan to serve.

To download a copy of the recipe for Chicken Sauce with Linguini, click HERE.

So if you’re looking for something different for dinner, give Chicken Sauce with Linguini a try. Fresh food doesn’t get much easier than this!

Be sure to visit again next week for another home-cooking recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)