I'm not really one for measuring stuff out but I like a good chicken pasta bake in a garlic sauce.
Ingredients: (in whatever random order I remember them in
)
Pasta
garlic cloves
Onion
Chicken (I find that leftovers from a roast work really well, though fresh chicken breast is just as good)
parsley
Rosemary
flour
Butter
Oil
Milk
Cheese
Mushrooms
If you've had a roast with the chicken, the leftover fat that is stuck to the tray too
Prep:
Finely chop all of your main ingredients, i.e the garlic, onions, parsley and such. If you're using fresh chicken cut it up into small cubes, if you're using leftovers just shred it with a fork.
Might as well grate the cheese here too
Cooking:
Start gently simmering your pasta whilst adding a good chunk of butter into a pan, add oil to reduce the chance of your butter burning. Once it's sizzling, add your onion and then add 2 - 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic (depending on how strong you want it). Add your seasoning, then pour in the milk, probably about a pint, turn the heat down and let it simmer for a while. Then get another pan and (if you have the fat from the roast) add this to the pan on full heat. Add the chicken the rosemary and some of the parsley. Once the chicken starts to brown, add the mushrooms and then take it off the heat. If your sauce hasn't thickened enough yet, add your flower pinch by pinch making sure to whisk it in fully so you don't get lumps. Once it has thickened enough for your liking, add the parsley and take it off the heat. Drain the pasta which should be cooked by now and blanch it. Mix all of the ingredients together and then add to a pyrex dish or something of the like. Top with plenty of cheese and stick it in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes. Stick under the grill if the cheese hasn't browned off enough
I'll add my fry up later with gammon, sausage, mushrooms, and potato cubes fried in beer
