Chicken Almost Carbonara

Like lots of others, right now I'm looking for ways to use leftovers and pantry items, to avoid extra trips to the grocery, and to save money. I had leftover cooked chicken and some mushrooms in the refrigerator that I needed to use. I had pasta in the pantry, but alas, no cream, so this dish kind of "grew like Topsy" with ingredients I already had on hand--a partial bottle of white wine, frozen peas, and parsley right outside the door. My son said, "Hey, this is almost like carbonara," and the name was born!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 478 Calories

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 3 cups chicken stock, divided
• ¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 onion, vertically sliced
• 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 1 ½ cups frozen petite peas

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and crumble when cool enough to handle.

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Step 3

At the same time, heat olive oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until butter is melted and oil is hot. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and evenly distribute the contents in the skillet.

Step 4

Stir in wine and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Pour in 2 cups chicken stock, add cooked chicken and peas, and bring to a boil.

Step 5

While mixture is coming to a boil, place flour in a pint jar with a lid. Slowly add remaining chicken stock to the jar, stirring briskly to break up any lumps. Place the lid on the jar and shake until well blended. Slowly pour flour-stock mixture into the boiling mixture and stir to prevent lumps. Return to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 6

Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese until melted. Pour the hot sauce onto the pasta, add parsley and crumbled bacon, and stir to combine. Serve in individual bowls with additional Parmesan, if desired.