Chicken Fettucine (Frank's)

Another favorite of mine, Frank always had this pasta on Doc Watson's Pasta Night menu (a restaurant in Philadelphia that I worked at). The recipe below is what I have come up with at this point to recreate his dish. I believe it is basically a Fettucine Alfredo sauce to which he added chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and peas. It was always very good. To follow the restaurant's tradition, serve with a glass of wine, a green salad and garlic bread.

Frank's Menu Description: Fresh chicken tenders, peas, tomatoes and mushrooms sauteed in a garlic cheese sauce and served over pasta.

FMM: Brian and I experimented with this recipe and found that adding 1/2 cup ricotta helped to thicken the sauce. The original recipe seemed to depend on adding the pasta to the sauce so the starch from the pasta thickens the sauce. We tend to not add pasta to sauces as we usually have leftovers and like to put the amount of sauce we want on our pasta. The sauce was very tasty.

2 fresh medium-sized boneless chicken breast, washed and cut into strips
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter, total for recipe
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
1 - 2 cloves garlic
2 -3 fresh plum (Roma) tomatoes, cubed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 2/3 cups heavy cream (can substitute some half 'n' half)
3/4 cups Parmesano Reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup ricotta (optional)

1 lb dried fettuccini pasta
1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh Italian flat leafed parsley, chopped
Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving on the side

Saute the chicken strips in 2 Tbsp. butter. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper. When lightly browned, remove the chicken and add the mushrooms to the pan. Once the mushroooms have cooked down, add the garlic, tomatoes and peas. Cook just until the peas have cooked and softened. Remove and add to the dish of chicken.

To the same pan, with all the drippings, add the cream and the rest of the butter. Heat together slowly until butter has melted. Add the parmesan and romano cheeses and stir constantly until the cheeses are incorporated into the sauce. Place on the lowest heat and simmer until thickened. Do not allow the cream to boil. Add the chicken and vegetables to the sauce to reheat.

In the meantime, cook the fettuccini in salted boiling water (one tablespoon salt for large pot of water). Cook until al-dente. Drain the pasta into a serving bowl and either top with the sauce, or serve the sauce on the side. Sprinkle the top with the fresh parsley. Serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan cheese on the side.