Cream Cheese Chicken and Vermicelli

Time to indulge a little. Pasta with a creamy, cheesy, lush sauce warms up a cold autumn evening. Add tender chicken breast for a completely satisfying—and very inviting—casual dinner for four.

Note: The sauce may seem “soupy” at first, but it will thicken quickly as the cream cheese melts and the pasta is added to it.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 oz vermicelli (or angel hair pasta)
• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1-1/4 lbs total
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• flour, for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 6 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

Cream Cheese

Cream Cheese Pieces

Preparation

1. Cook the vermicelli in boiling, salted water until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Place the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly to an even thickness, about 1/3 inch.

Pounded Chicken Breasts

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
2. Spread the flour on a large plate and dredge the chicken in it, shaking off excess. Place the chicken in the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden on the bottom, 5-6 minutes.
3. Turn and cook until golden on the other side and just cooked through, 4-5 minutes longer, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate.

Chicken Beginning to Cook 

Chicken after Turning

Cooked Chicken

1. Add the shallot and wine to the pan and cook, scraping up browned bits, 2 minutes.
2. Add the broth, milk, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese and cook, stirring gently to melt the cheeses, until the sauce is creamy and slightly thick, 6-7 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Shallot and Wine Added to the Pan 

Broth, Milk, and Cheeses Added 

Cooked Sauce

1. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the cooked chicken to the pasta and sauce and turn several times to coat.

Pasta and Chicken Added

To serve, divide the chicken, pasta, and sauce among 4 plates and garnish with chopped parsley.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vermicelli

Pasta with Calamari and Sweet Peas in Garlicky Cream Sauce

"Calamari" means squid served as food. Its tubes and tentacles are mild, sweet, and delicious, whether paired with a sweet and spicy chile sauce or a creamy, garlicky sauce, as in this recipe. 

To cook squid properly, one of two methods is needed: hot and fast or low and slow. In other words, this seafood needs a quick sauté or a longer low-temperature braise to bring out its tenderness and best flavors. Otherwise, it can become tough and chewy.

Squid Bodies and Tentacles

Here, the calamari is sautéed only in olive oil with salt and pepper, complemented by green peas and a savory white sauce loaded with garlic and rich taste.

Note: I blended a small amount of provolone cheese into the sauce simply to add to its creaminess, with a little bit of mild cheese flavor. The provolone also helps to thicken the half-and-half, so heavy cream isn’t necessary to create a rich, creamy sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 oz thin spaghetti (or other long pasta)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups half-and-half
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese  
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb calamari, bodies cleaned and cut into rings, tentacles split or coarsely chopped
• 1 cup sweet peas (thawed, if frozen)

Squid Rings with Split Tentacles

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water 6-7 minutes (or until al dente). Drain.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook slowly, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.

Butter and Garlic Beginning to Cook

1. Whisk in the half-and-half and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.
2. Stir in the cheese and reduce the heat to low. Cook slowly until melted and well blended, 2 minutes. Keep the sauce warm.

Garlicky Cream Sauce

1. Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the calamari rings and tentacles and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the seafood is tender and almost cooked through, 5-6 minutes.

Calamari Beginning to Cook

Cooked Calamari

1. Add the peas and cook 1 minute.
2. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir in the cream sauce. Stir well to combine.

Peas Added

Pasta and Sauce Added

Divide the pasta and sauce among 4 shallow bowls and serve right away.