World Famous Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

Pasta

• 1 lb fresh pasta, or pasta of your choice

Onions, bacon and vegetables

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp brown sugar, to help the onions caramelize
• 4 strips bacon, chopped
• 1½ tsp fresh tarragon, chopped, plus more to finish (the key ingredient)
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup sugar snap peas

Chicken

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 lb chicken, cut in bite-size pieces
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Sauce

• ¾ cup white wine
• ¾ cup whipping cream
• 1 chicken OXO cube, dissolved in a little water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A little brown sugar

Garnish

• Fresh tarragon or parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Put a big pot of salted water on to boil first. Cook the pasta while you make everything else, then drain and set it aside. It goes in last, so the dish stays creamy and doesn’t end up with too much pasta.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and brown sugar and cook low and slow, stirring now and then, until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
3. Add the bacon right on top of the onions and cook until it starts to crisp. Stir in the 1½ tsp tarragon, then add the red pepper, mushrooms and snap peas and cook until just tender. Remove everything from the pan and set aside.
4. Turn the heat up and melt the second Tbsp of butter. Brown the chicken with the garlic and parsley. You want it hot enough that the chicken browns and leaves some dark bits in the pan. Remove.
5. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits. Turn the heat to medium and simmer 3 to 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
6. Slowly stir in the cream, then the OXO, salt, pepper and a little brown sugar. Let it boil and thicken slightly.
7. Return the chicken, bacon and vegetables and stir in more fresh tarragon. Add the pasta a little at a time until it looks right: creamy, not too much pasta. Garnish with tarragon or parsley.

Parmesan: The original calls for ¼ cup fresh Parmesan. I leave it out, but add it with the cream if you like.