RECIPE: CREAMY CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS PASTA BAKE

It was on the local news last night that Canberra has had its mildest June on record for the last 51 years. Oh well. It made up for it today. We have had gale force winds and Mr G has been worried all day that his hot house won’t be able to withstand the winds. Here’s hoping that it holds up.
I went as far as the corner this morning on my scooter when I turned back…..there was just no way I could ride in the head wind. Mind you, with the temp at nearly 0°c, I did not need much prompting!

Easy meal today, courtesy of Mr G. He used macaroni in the dish (he said he could not be bothered going to the shops; don’t blame him and moreover, I took the car to work, didn’t I?) ….original recipe calls for fettuccine.

Ingredients (for 4-6 people)
400 g fettuccine pasta (used Macaroni)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion – chopped
2 cups diced chicken (you may also use cooked chicken from yesterday’s roast!)
1 red capsicum – diced (did not put it today)
2 small sticks celery
1 small chicken stock cube – crumbled
1 cup water
300 g carton sour cream
440 g can asparagus cuts, drained
½ tsp dried oregano leaves
1 cup (125 g) grated tasty cheese (you may want to put more)

Method
Cook pasta according to cooking instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well again.

Heat oil in pan and cook chicken until cooked. Add in onion and cook until onion is soft. If using cooked chicken, fry the onions first, then add in the cooked chicken.

Add in the capsicum, celery, stock cube and water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins.

Add the cream, asparagus and oregano and cook until heated through. Remove from heat.

Either mix the cooked pasta into the sauce and fold the mixture evenly and place it into an oven proof casserole or assemble the pasta in two layers by spooning half the chicken mixture over the base of an oven proof casserole, followed by all the pasta and finally the remainder of the chicken mixture.
In both version, to finish, sprinkle with the cheese and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 mins or until the cheese is lightly browned.

Serve on its own or with steak and/or salad

Source: Adapted from the Australian Women’s Weekly Home Library – Pasta Cookbook.