Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

I am so excited to show you this delicious recipe that I am sharing with you today. It is a simple, quick and easy main dish that you can have on the table in less than half an hour. I kid you not!
Its quick, easy and delicious. You have tender crispy coated juicy chicken breasts and a creamy almost Alfredo-like sauced pasta.
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta is a complete meal for the most part. If anything I would add a salad on the side, but that's pretty much it!

My oldest daughter, the Olympian Athlete, is here staying with me for 10 days. She represented Canada in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2009. We were all so proud of her. She came out of the games with 3 gold medals and a bronze. She completed in Cross Country Skiing both as an individual and as a part of a team.
I was able to fly over to Boise, Idaho to watch her compete. What a proud mama I was! She just participated in the Summer Games here in Nova Scotia as a ribbon gymnast and bought home one gold, two silvers and a bronze for that!
The Special Olympics is a wonderful organization. I really applaud them and can tell you first hand that they have made a wonderful difference in my daughter's life. She is a confident and capable young woman with loads of drive and ambition.
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

She had been going to come over and spend a few weeks with me in England a few years ago, but Covid happened the the trip didn't. And then I moved back to Canada amidst the Pandemic.
In any case, we are having a holiday staycation here together in my little house for ten days, which will hopefully make up for it. I have all sorts planned, some of which is eating some good food together, and this recipe is one of the dishes I have planned!

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

I also want to do a tea party together, have a picnic, go on a few days trips, and in general, just enjoy each others company and hopefully we can cook together as well. She is a very competent cook.
I have always tried to create and write most of my recipes in a way so that anyone could cook them. I always have her in mind when I do so. She loves to cook and does really well at it, and she loves to cook my recipes and does very well with them.
This one I am sharing today is no exception. What you have here is a delicious use of a convenience ingredient (frozen chicken breasts), some pasta and a creamy sauce. Its a very simple quick and easy make! Delicious too!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CRISPY CHICKEN WITH CREAMY GARLIC PASTA
Just a few simple ingredients and about half an hour's time, that's all! This is a recipe geared to feed two people, but can very easily be doubled.
You will need:

2 frozen crispy coated chicken breasts (I used Pinty's)
1/2 pound (8 oz/226g) dried penne pasta
parsley to garnish
grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

For the sauce:

2 TBS butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS plain all purpose flour
1 cup (240ml) chicken stock
1 cup (240ml) milk
1/4 tsp white pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup (90g) grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces of pasta is approximately 2 cups. I used a good quality brand pasta, Barilla. It is imported from Italy. You will only be cooking it to al dente.
I did use pre-grated Parmesan cheese today. I buy it at the Deli-counter. It is not that stuff in the green can that doesn't need refrigeration. Just use the best that you can afford and what is available to you.
I used whole milk. I only keep whole milk in the house. I can't afford to keep more than one kind of milk, so I just buy the one that I will get the most use from. I buy the ultra-filtered one which means it lasts a lot longer.
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

This is important to me as a single person. I don't go through milk as quickly as other people and found that I was ending up pouring too much of it down the drain. Buying the Ultra Filtered one makes a huge difference in my kitchen as far as waste goes.
Also did you know that Ultra Filtered milk is higher in calcium than regular milk? It is also lactose free, has less sugar and more protein. Its a great milk for older women who are at risk for osteoporosis and for children as well.
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

The chicken stock I use is called Better than Boullion, Roasted Chicken Base. It comes in a jar and I keep it in the refrigerator. I find that it has a nice flavor and blends very easily into boiling water to make stock. I wish it had less sodium, but it is what it is.
I love the flavor of white pepper. It is earthy and not quite as hot as black pepper. It is the inner seed from the pepper corn. It is the pepper which you will find on most tables in the UK. It took me a while to get used to it when I first moved over there, but once I did, I found that I liked it more. It also looks good in a sauce without adding black specks.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY CHICKEN WITH CREAMY GARLIC PASTA
This is such a simple make. It is perfect for nights when you are starving and want something delicious but don't want to spend a lot of time!

Preheat your oven and cook your chicken breasts according to the package directions. (Mine took 25 minutes at 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6, flipping them over halfway through the cook time.While the chicken is cooking, cook your pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse and drain again. Set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta. Once it begins to foam add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, until quite fragrant. Whisk in the flour, 1 TBS at a time, until you have a smooth paste.

Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Add the cheese and whisk in until melted.Add the pasta to the sauce in the skillet, tossing together. Heat through.Serve hot with the cooked sliced chicken. Sprinkle with additional parmesan and some parsley flakes to garnish.NOTE - just for future reference. If you find that when you are making a sauce like this, or even a gravy and it ends up with a few lumps in it, just pass it through a clean sieve. Lumps no more.

This was really simple and something which we both enjoyed. The sauce was rich and creamy. It went very well with the crispy chicken. A simple salad on the side and we were both very happy, very satiated campers!
I can't wait to cook something else together. I wonder what it will be??? Watch this space!

If you are a fan of pasta as much as we are, you might also enjoy the following simple pasta recipes:
EASY OVEN BAKED PASTA - Pasta which cooks right in the sauce, giving it even more flavor. No fuss, no muss. No boiling of water. Just bung the both together in a baking dish, pop into the oven and let the oven do all the work. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Delicious! Some salad and a loaf of garlic bread and dinner is served!
CHEESY TUNA SKILLET PASTA - The pasta in this also cooks in the pan along with the sauce, tuna peas. This is a fabulously tasty skillet meal. It goes together really quickly and is done in about 15 minutes time maximum. While it is cooking you can be putting together a nice salad to serve on the side. I love simple meals like this!