Chicken, Chard and Kale Pappardelle Pasta

 

I am so far behind in my posts. For that, I apologize and promise declare hope to be more diligent in 2014.

I will may also knit more.

Those sound like resolutions.

When sister and I were in Italy on a culinary tour in 2009, we made (and devoured) a delicious Bolognese served over pappardelle pasta.   Below is a photo of us in that Italian kitchen cutting ingredients to make the Bolognese.  What a wonderful trip!

 

Back in the States, and for some reason, these ribbons of lusciousness are not as easy to find in these parts but I finally found some made by Severino, an artisanal pasta company, at the local Coop. 

I love the Co-op. 

I’m sure if I planned an escapade to the Italian Market in South Philadelphia, I may have had more success.  Or, I could have gone to Westmont, NJ where the Severino Pasta Company is located and where they’ve been making pasta since 1970.

 

Regardless, I now have a source.

The name papparadelle comes from the Italian word for gobble up, “pappare” and gobble up we did with the dish I prepared for one of our recent Wednesday evening gatherings, Chicken and Kale Pappardelle Pasta.  This dish doesn’t present as beautifully as some other dishes I’ve written about, but don’t let the modest look fool you…it packs a impressive flavor punch and is relatively easy to make.    The flavors of the shredded chicken breast, fresh kale, sherry sauce and freshly grated Asagio cheese blend together brilliantly to create a special pasta experience that is sure to become a favorite, go-to dish!

I think you could use any green in this dish and I was thinking about making it with spinach or arugula the next time.  Also, leftover turkey would work just as nicely.

Chicken, Chard and Kale Pappardelle Pasta

Adapted from:  thindish.com

Ingredients

½ lb. green Swiss chard
½ lb. Kale
1 medium lemon
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 large garlic cloves pressed through a garlic press
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup dry sherry or any dry white wine (which is what I used)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup shredded asiago cheese (I used a blend of cheeses, including asiago)
Shredded rotisserie chicken meat (I used only the breast meat)
½ to 1 pound of pappardelle pasta or one package

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and cook the pappardelle. Meanwhile, trim the stems and ribs from Swiss chard and kale and cut the leaves crosswise into wide ribbons. Finely shred a zest of lemon and then set aside the zest.  Juice the lemon and set aside 3 tablespoons of juice.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add fresh garlic and red pepper flakes and and cook it until the garlic is fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high and add the chicken broth, wine, chard, kale, and lemon zest.  Cook everything until the greens are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Next, add the cream and half of the cheese and stir combining everything.  Stir in the shredded chicken and cook it until warmed through.  Stir in the lemon juice and season the sauce mixture to taste with salt and pepper. By now, the noodles shold be tender to the bite so, drain them and add the noodles to the frying pan with the sauce.  Sprinkle the remaining asiago.