Family-Sized Dinners: Parmesan & Garlic Pasta

Here's what you need to know:

This meal will make at least 4 servings - believe it or not, I do sometimes cook for the correct number of people in my house (2). But I like this meal in larger portions because I can make a very large batch in one pot, then portion and eat for lunch later in the week. Sometimes, when parmesan or other cheesy pasta sits in a tupperware for a few days, it's a little drier once you reheat it. And - sue me - I actually really like the drier texture. It's more understated than just globs and globs of sauce.

This meal pairs well with someone else in your house who really, really likes cheese. Alfredo is a big favorite under our roof, and making something from scratch that is similar but doesn't compete with our go-to jarred pasta sauce satisfies everyone. It's also pretty forgiving, so I like to cook it when I don't have the energy to think about interpreting someone else's instructions to "simmer the sauce until it thickens" (it never thickens).

I wouldn't recommend any sides, but you can add some broccoli or spinach into the mix last-minute if you're counting how many vegetables you eat in a week. As for drinks, white wine is probably the technical pairing for a parmesan-chicken-pasta meal, but who cares? I'd recommend a sweet wine - Oliver's blueberry moscato is a crowd-pleaser and it doesn't have to justify it's presence to anyone, dish or human.

You should probably use:

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS minced garlic

1.5 c. pasta

2-3 c. chicken broth

1/3 c. heavy cream

2 TBS butter

1/2 c. parsley

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1 TBS BW3's Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce

my two cents on ingredients: I modified this from a recipe for chili crisp alfredo...and I'm pretty sure that any recipe with heavy cream, chicken broth, and parmesan is just alfredo sauce. I just know that, while this is pretty delicious, it's not exactly alfredo and I'm fine with that. Speaking of ingredients, though: I use chicken bouillon for chicken broth because it's cheaper and lasts longer. Whatever pasta you use should probably be short pasta (orzo, farfalle, macaroni) but honestly can probably be anything. I usually use short pasta just because that's what I have. Be braver than me and use spaghetti. The chicken is optional here but highly recommended. You should dice it before you put it on the pan, and you really just need enough wing sauce to cover the chicken and simmer a bit. Finally, you don't have to use BW3's sauce - pick your favorite (or the cheapest) and it'll do just fine. I just prefer this one.

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a pan. Add chicken and cook on medium heat.

2. When chicken is almost done, add garlic parmesan sauce. Cook just until sauce dissolves (1-2 minutes).

3. Add your pasta and toast it in the oil and sauce. Make sure it's stirred so that it's fully covered. It'll take 30 seconds to a minute to toast it, but this is flexible if you're minding the electric kettle for your bouillon.

4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Then simmer about 8-10 minutes.

5. Stir in the heavy cream while your food is simmering.

6. Once the liquid is almost fully gone, take your pan off heat. Add the butter.

7. Stir in the parsley and parmesan - measure with your heart.

8. Season with salt and pepper.

9. (Optional) top with mozzarella, cover, and turn the heat on low just to melt the cheese. Serve!