Chicken Rigatoni in a Parmesan Cream Sauce

 This post is part of the Two Chickens Project that I am working on. The objective is to provide the main course for two people for one week using just two chickens.

This is a nice upscale alternative to the Mac 'N Cheese in the blue and white box and is just as fast to make.

4 oz shredded chicken
1 cup rigatoni pasta
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup cream
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Add the pasta and a little salt to 4 cups boiling water. When the pasta is just al dente remove it from the water and drain. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Add the flour and whisk vigorously, cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the cream.  Whisk until the cream starts to thicken.  Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese.  Whisk until well-blended.

Put the pasta into a bowl with the leftover pasta water and stir for a few seconds until the water is absorbed.  Add the cheese/cream sauce and chicken. Stir until well blended.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Believe it or not, I recently paid fifteen bucks for a dish of this in a local Italian restaurant (way overpriced, I know.).  There is so much more you can do with this.  You could all some broccoli florets or asparagus tips and a few sun-dried tomatoes.  Or you could cut up a couple slices of bacon, saute them and add them.