Egg Noodles with Creamy Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 pk. wide egg noodles

• water for cooking noodles

• salt

• Parmesan cheese, optional

For the chicken:

• 1 lb. chicken breast (4 small breasts or 2 large breast cut into 2 each)

• 1 tbsp finely chopped Basil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tbsp oil

For the sauce:

• 1 1/4 cup pasta water

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1/8 tsp white pepper

• salt to taste

1. Season the chicken with basil, garlic, salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large pot with water. Add salt to water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Before draining pasta, save 2 cups pasta water for making the sauce.

3. As noodle cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl pan to coat evenly. Cook chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until cook through and no longer pink. Transfer to a warm plate. (You may need to do this in two batches.)

4. Add butter to the same pan in which the chicken was cooked. Melt butter, add flour and stir or whisk until incorporated. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk in the 1 1/4 cup pasta water. Increase heat to medium-low, bring to a gently boil, lower heat and simmer until sauce has thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with white pepper and salt.

5. Add the cooked chicken breasts to the sauce.

6. Plate the noodles and add 1 breast per plate, spoon sauce over noodles and chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if using.

Yields: 4 servings

Notes&Tips:

• I enjoy creamy sauces but as I can no longer use milk, I have to either use non-diary milk or find other alternatives. I came across the idea of using pasta water for making sauce, after reading comments on a recipe. In this dish, Egg Noodles with Creamy Chicken, I used this idea to make the sauce. It was delicious and creamy.

• Egg Noodles with Creamy Chicken is a basic, no fuss recipe. I just wanted a simple dish with a few ingredients. Normally, I'd want to put vegetables with my noodles, but I craved a "plain" dish. Even though the dish is plain, there is nothing plain about its taste. It was simple, creamy and flavorful.

• One added benefit of using pasta water for the sauce, is that Egg Noodles with Creamy Chicken is a low calorie dish.