Cactus Pear Lemon-Ginger Penne
Submitted by mytyme
Creamy ginger penne with grilled chicken, prosciutto, portobello mushrooms, and sweet peppers in a rich lemon-pepper cream sauce. A bold Southwestern-Italian fusion pasta.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
35 minWhere the Southwest meets Italy, and it works brilliantly.
This penne brings together grilled chicken and thin-sliced prosciutto in a cream sauce spiked with fresh ginger, garlic, and lemon pepper. Meaty portobello mushrooms and sweet red peppers round out each forkful with earthy, smoky depth.
The cream reduces until it turns light brown and coats the pasta like velvet. A generous shower of grated Romano or Pecorino finishes it off with salty bite.
Pro Tips
- Let the cream reduce properly. When it turns light brown, that’s caramelization working its magic. Don’t rush it.
- Grill the chicken ahead of time. Day-old grilled chicken actually shreds better and absorbs the sauce more.
- De-gill your portobellos before slicing. Those dark gills turn the cream sauce an unappetizing gray.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.
Melt butter over medium heat in large pot and sauté ginger 1 minute.
Add garlic, peppers and mushrooms.
Sauté for another minute, stirring constantly.
Add cream and simmer gently for 7 to 10 minutes (cream should boil slightly, become light brown and reduce in volume.)
Add salt and lemon pepper and stir.
Add cooked pasta and stir.
Add diced chicken and prosciutto, stir, and heat 1 minute longer.
Serve sprinkled with grated Romano or percorino.
Comments
why is this called cactus pear, i thought this is a fruit and wld. be added?