Green Chile Fettucine Alfredo & Blackened Chicken

Green Chile Fettucine Alfredo & Blackened Chicken

This recipe draws on a fusion of flavors from the Carribean, the Mediterranean, and New Mexico. The distinctive piquant flavor of Hatch chile is a perfect complement to the alfredo sauce and chicken.

As with all recipes, please leave your modifications and improvements in the comments field. I am all for going off script and updating recipes. For example, I substituted spaghetti squash recently for a keto-friendly version.

Fettucine Alfredo (6 large servings)

Ingredients

• 24 ounces dry fettuccini pasta (less for smaller portions of pasta)
• 1 pound of green chile (I vary the amount I toss into the noodles and sauce based on the heat tolerance of the people I am serving). If you don’t have chile available in your area, Hatch Chile Store ships frozen whole or chopped green chile nationwide.

Sauce

• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 of a pint heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (more if you love garlic)
• 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions

Step 1: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente (cooked thoroughly, but still firm to the bite); drain.

Step 2: In a large saucepan, melt butter into cream over low heat. Add salt, pepper and garlic salt. Add the minced garlic and sauté in the butter on low heat before adding the cream. Stir in cheese over medium heat until melted. This will thicken the sauce. Stir consistently to avoid the cheese sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Tip: If you sift a little bit of cornstarch into the shredded cheese, and squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the sauce while you are adding your cheese, it becomes smooth and creamy.

Step 3: When the noodles are done, strain the water. Mix noodles, green chile and alfredo sauce by folding together gently. Make sure the pasta is thoroughly coated. Top with chicken, whole or sliced depending on preference and portioning. Serve immediately. The pasta and alfredo sauce can be eaten as leftovers, but it is definitely better fresh.

Blackened Chicken (6 servings)

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Seasoning Mix

• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon red or green chile powder or a bit of both (Albukirky Seasonings ships nationwide)

Directions

Step 1: Take the chicken out of the refridgerator and allow it to reach room temp before applying the rub. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5-10 minutes until it is smoking hot.

Step 2: Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, onion powder, and chile powders in a plastic bag. Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray or olive oil on both sides, then shake the chicken breast in the bag to evenly coat with the spice mixture.

Step 3: Place the chicken in the hot skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Flip, and cook 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 4: Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10-20 minutes. It varies based on the size of the chicken breast.

Step 5: Chicken can be served on top of the fettucine alfredo whole or sliced. This is a very filling dish. One chicken breast sliced is more than enough for two plates.

Worth noting…the spice combination is tasty when grilling the chicken, but the skillet gives it the blackening.

3 tips for tender chicken

• Take out of the fridge for a few before you cook it.
• Heat pan to help cook chicken faster, allowing it to sear and seal in juices.
• Let chicken sit 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven to allow the juices to permeate the chicken.

Please leave your recipe modifications, or any questions that you may have, in the comments.

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