Over the weekend I had a group of 10 come over for pot roast, and I was worried we wouldn’t have enough starch as a “filler” dish, so at the very last minute I decided to throw in another pasta dish to the menu.  I decided on this simple but incredibly delicious pasta by Emeril Lagasse, which I’ve made for office potlucks and Hari Raya dos with a very high chance of  “yum!” ratings by guests.  Do check it out!

Ingredients

• 500 grams linguine
• 1/4 cup salt for cooking pasta
• 2 tablespoons (about 1/8 of a 250 gm block) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pound (about 680 grams) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons Essence
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cili padi
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Set a large stock pot of water to a boil and add the 1/4 cup salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and cili padi to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the green onions, Parmesan and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.