Farfalle bicolori cremose con pollo, gorgonzola, noci, salvia e whisky
Creamy orange and ivory farfalle with spiced chicken, gorgonzola, walnuts, sage and whisky
Introduction
A creamy, comforting pasta in which gorgonzola, walnuts and sage meet chicken seasoned with my homemade spice blend. A splash of whisky, stirred straight into the sauce, adds warmth.
It is also a time-saving recipe: cook a generous batch of spiced chicken once, use part of it for these farfalle and keep the rest for a second dish the next day.
Ingredients
Serves 1 for the pasta. The chicken makes enough for a second dish the next day.
For the farfalle and the sauce
- 80 g orange and ivory two-color farfalle (about 3 oz)
- Spiced chicken cubes, as needed (see method)
- About 80 ml plant-based (vegan) cream, fresh cream or cooking cream (about ⅓ cup)
- Gorgonzola, to your taste
- Walnuts, roughly broken
- Bell’s Original Blended Scotch Whisky (40% ABV), to taste
- About 40 ml chicken stock (about 3 tbsp)
- Ground sage
- 10 g butter (about 2 tsp)
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the spiced chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- About 3 g cornstarch (about 1 tsp)
- About 20–25 g olive oil (about 1½–2 tbsp)
- Plant-based margarine, enough for cooking
- My homemade spice blend
My homemade spice blend
- Cumin
- Lemon powder
- Turmeric
- Coriander
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Allspice (pimento)
- Sicilian rock salt
- A very small amount of MSG (monosodium glutamate), optional
For a simpler, quicker version, you can use just salt, pepper and turmeric.
Plant-based swaps
You can replace the regular cream and the butter with plant-based alternatives. You can also use whole-wheat pasta instead of the two-color farfalle, though you will lose the visual effect of the dish.
Gorgonzola is essential to this recipe. If you want to leave it out, it is better to choose another recipe.
Method
1. Prepare the chicken
Cut the two chicken breasts into cubes of about 3 cm (about 1¼ in) per side, without worrying about making them perfectly even.
Season generously with my homemade spice blend, or with salt, pepper and turmeric. Let rest for about 5 minutes.
Mix the cubes carefully with two spoons, spreading the spices on all sides.
Add about 3 g (about 1 tsp) of cornstarch and mix again, forming a very thin coating around the meat. Let rest for about 1 minute.
Pour in 20–25 g (about 1½–2 tbsp) of olive oil and mix carefully once more. Let rest for another 3 minutes before cooking.
2. Cook the chicken
Heat enough plant-based margarine in a frying pan. Add the chicken cubes and cook for about 5 minutes over fairly high heat, turning them regularly with two spoons so they brown evenly.
Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for about 5 minutes, keeping the pan covered.
These times are a guide for cubes of about 3 cm (1¼ in). Make sure the chicken is fully cooked, ideally reaching at least 74 °C (165 °F) in the center.
Take the amount you need for the farfalle with gorgonzola. Cool the rest of the chicken quickly and store it in a closed container in the refrigerator, at 4 °C (40 °F) or below, for the next day’s recipe.
3. Cook the farfalle
Cook the 80 g (about 3 oz) of two-color farfalle in boiling salted water for about 8 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
4. Make the gorgonzola, walnut and sage sauce
Pour about 80 ml (about ⅓ cup) of cream into a pan and warm it gently. Add the gorgonzola and let it melt slowly into the cream, stirring gently with a spatula.
Add the whisky straight into the sauce, without flambéing and without reducing it separately. Add a pinch of ground sage.
Add the roughly broken walnuts. Some can simply stay split into two or three pieces. Finish with another pinch of sage and stir gently, keeping the sauce creamy.
5. Add the chicken
Add the spiced chicken cubes set aside for this recipe to the sauce. Let them take on the flavors gently.
The turmeric in the spice blend will gradually give the sauce a golden yellow color, while the other spices enrich the flavor.
Taste before adding more salt, keeping in mind the saltiness of the gorgonzola and the chicken.
6. Add the farfalle
Add the farfalle to the pan with the chicken and the sauce. Pour in about 40 ml (about 3 tbsp) of chicken stock to keep everything soft and creamy. Stir gently until all the ingredients come together.
7. Finish with butter
Add 10 g (about 2 tsp) of butter and let it melt, stirring gently. This final step is what Italians call “mantecatura”: it makes the sauce glossy and smooth.
8. Serve
Serve immediately. Finish with freshly ground black pepper and a very light touch of ground sage.
Author’s note — Getting organized in the kitchen
When I worked in restaurants, I often used the same ingredient to make at least three different recipes. It was my way of organizing the work, saving time and making the most of every product.
For this recipe, I recommend preparing a generous amount of chicken with my spice blend. Part of it goes into the farfalle with gorgonzola, and the rest can be used the next day to make an Indian basmati rice with onion and peas.
One preparation, two different dishes, less work and plenty of flavor. A practical method for home cooking too.
A second recipe with the same chicken
For the second dish, I use Duru India Sella 1121 basmati rice, with onion, peas and the same spiced chicken cubes prepared for the farfalle.
You can also use another good-quality basmati rice. The full method for this second dish will be published as a separate recipe.
Allergens
Contains gluten (wheat pasta), milk (gorgonzola, butter, and the cream if you use dairy cream) and tree nuts (walnuts).
Also check the ingredients and allergens of the chicken stock, the margarine, the cream and the spices you use.
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