Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara

Menu planning has gotten a lot easier for me, thanks to The Baron who is always a fountain of meal recommendations. It helps that he skims through my cooking and baking magazines to point out dishes he's interested in. In fact, the last time he went through some magazines I had on my coffee table, I was able to plan meals for an entire month! So stay tuned to see what will be gracing our table thanks to The Baron's input lol. One dish that I had planned before the magazine raid was this chicken Fettuccine Carbonara. For this dish, a parmesan crusted chicken breast is served over a bed of {GF} fettucini with peas, crumbled bacon and creamy carbonara sauce, topped with more shredded Parmesan cheese. It's one of those meals that is luxurious simply because the sauce is so creamy and rich with flavor. It's been awhile since I've made a carbonara dish and this version was a nice change from my usual recipe....

I often try to switch up meals so that we're not having similar things in the same week. So one night will be a side dish of potatoes, rice or pasta. This naturally fell on our pasta night and it was pretty easy to put together. Carbonara pasta dishes usually involve a combination of cheese, egg, and milk, along with peas and bacon. All these components are deliciously involved and the addition of chicken makes it an even more satisfying meal...

Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara
recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
• 1/4 cup all purpose or gluten free blended flour
• 8 ounces uncooked fettuccini
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese + more for serving
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

Cooking Directions

1. Seaon chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste; dredge in flour and then pan fry in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat until browned on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water 10 minutes or until al dente; Drain pasta mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Combine reserved cooking liquid, eggs, and milk, stirring with a whisk.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add vermouth; cook 1 minute.
4. Add pasta mixture; stir to combine. Remove from heat; stir in milk mixture and cheese. Place pan over medium heat, and cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in parsley, salt, pepper, bacon and peas. Toss until peas are warmed through. Serve immediately with chicken with more Parmesan cheese if desired.