This pasta is wicked good! Linguine noodles are tossed with a creamy gorgonzola sauce with onion, garlic, nutmeg, milk, fresh parsley and parmesan, then topped with succulant chicken, toasted walnuts and pancetta! Simply superb! Don’t forget the warm crusty bread!
Ingredients:
Serves 2 very hungry people!
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, either grilled or baked
- 2 oz of pancetta or bacon
- 1 tsp of olive oil
- 1/2 of a medium onion, sliced thinly, then cut the slices in half
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 8 oz of linguine noodles
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 tsp of dried marjoram (could substitute thyme)
- a dash or two of nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 4 oz of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet, sprinkle it with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake for 22 – 26 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then slice. Now, in a small skillet, cook the pancetta or bacon until crispy, place on a paper towel, crumble and set aside.
Then, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil, add in the onion, saute for 3-4 minutes, then add in the garlic and saute 1 more minute.
Next, add in the milk, marjoram, nutmeg, and salt & pepper.
Stir and cook a few minutes, then stir in the gorgonzola and the parsley, cook and stir until the sauce starts to thicken.
Stir in the parmesan cheese, taste and add salt if needed. Add in the linguine and toss to coat.
To serve, place the pasta in a bowl, top with the chicken, walnuts and pancetta and a little more parmesan if you like.Don’t forget that warm, crusty bread to go alongside! Enjoy!
Note to cooks: To toast the walnuts, just add them to a dry skillet over medium/high heat and cook for about 5-6 minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
