NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It's my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian 'Quote Cup' passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Everyone carries with them at least one piece to someone else’s puzzle." ~ Lawrence Kushner
The golden leaves will soon be gone…or is it just the sunlight to see them?! It's always hard getting used to the sun suddenly setting before 5:00 pm…only about 5 hours earlier than in the long days of summer!!
This week will be the first time our whole family has been together for Wednesday night dinner in a whole month because someone has been sick each week…the kind of sharing we could do without. It's been quieter without the grandsons together, but we are looking forward to the excitement again…and our 4-year-old grandson will finally get his birthday dinner!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Our daughter put in a request for pasta with gorgonzola sauce some week and since their family was here last week it seemed like a good time. The flavor of the nutty d-Anjou pears combined beautifully with the gorgonzola, and the chicken broth in the sauce helped cut the richness. The original recipe from Epicurious.com called for linguine but our daughter wanted rigatoni, which was also delicious. I added chicken to make it heartier.
GORGONZOLA, PEAR & CHICKEN PASTA
- 1-1 1/4 pound chicken breasts
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup butter
- 5 firm pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick strips
- 1 1/3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 5-6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup whipping cream
- 1 pound pasta
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
Cube chicken breasts, cook in olive oil. In another skillet, melt butter and saute pears until tender and beginning to brown but not soft, about 8 minutes. Use slotted spoon to transfer pears to bowl.
Add rosemary to skillet and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, Gorgonzola cheese, 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese and cream. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add chicken, pears and any accumulated juices to sauce.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Add pasta and pecans to sauce and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Add more pecans as garnish if desired.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – Email – HomesMSP.com
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I love pasta.. and this one looks yummy.. Got to try this..