Dear God...this meal was a NIGHTMARE. I will never make this again...and not because it wasn't delicious (it was!) but because I have a PTSD from this meal. This dinner took two nights to actually complete...and not because the recipe called for anything to happen overnight.
Mistake #1: assuming this meal was going to be easy. Mistake #2: assuming your local grocery store will have boneless chicken breasts that aren't frozen. YEAH...has YOUR grocery store ever been OUT OF CHICKEN???!!!! Well, that was a first for me. Of course, I discovered this after my cart was full of other items I needed. By this point, it was already 8:30pm and the thought of going to another store that night and THEN going home and making dinner was out of the question. We ordered in. Mistake #3 getting home and discovering you bought a small can of green beans when the recipe calls for peas. I mean...really?! (sad part? That isnt the first time I bought a can of green beans thinking they were peas. I now have 2 cans of green beans taking up space in my cupboard).
So, night #2 attempting to make this meal, I chose a different grocery store that did in fact have chicken and I was able to get a can of peas. I wish this is where the mistakes ended...nope. Read through the directions to see what else I screwed up. I guess I can't blame Kerry from Tastebook because all these mistakes had nothing to do with her recipe.
An important note, it is possible to make the recipe not super spicy.
Spicy Chicken Rigatoni
Serves: 4
Cook time according to Kerry: Does not say
Cook time according to Rachel: On a normal planet? 45-50 mins
How difficult was this for Rachel? A nightmare...for a NORMAL person? Easy!
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper (I used 1/4 tbsp)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced or cubed
3/4 cup Marinara sauce
1/4 cup Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup peas
Parmesan cheese for garnish
1 lb Rigatoni Pasta
Note: if you don't want to buy 2 sauces, Bertolli makes a Parm Rosa sauce that can be substituted. Use 1.5 cups.
Directions
Cook pasta according to package
While noodles are cooking, in a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, salt and garlic. Saute garlic long enough to carmelize. The original recipe called for more oil, I felt like there was too much. Use your own judgement.
Do not knock the pan causing 1/4 of it's contents to spill on the floor. Mistake #4. I had a photo of J cleaning the floor, but he thought the photo was unflattering, so being nice, I won't post it.
Add chicken to oil mix. Be careful of splattering oil.
Add Marinara first and then add Alfredo and bring to a simmer.
Cook until sauce thicken slightly and chicken cooks through. This was a fun part, telling if the chicken was done while covered in sauce.
I mean...really? Mistake #5. At this point, J was just about dying laughing. Me...not so much. You can take a guess who cleaned up my messes.
Turn off flame and add peas into sauce and mix through. Add noodles to pasta sauce. Mix through.
If you're looking for more heat, garnish with red pepper flakes like J did. I added Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment