FETTUCCINE BRAVO

Guest Contributor Michael Ring - @Loricatus_Lupus

Say you’ve ditched the kids and are looking for some nonseasonal adult food. This is a quick scratch recipe and these days most of the ingredients people have on hand and can be gotten from the salad bar precut. Dry pasta is a fine substitute and boils in about the time it takes to get to the point it’s needed in the main dish.

FETTUCCINE BRAVO

​Serves: 2. Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes.

​Ingredients:
2 cup homemade fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup roasted sweet peppers
1/4 cup sliced black or Kalamata olives (or mooched from the salad bar)
12 thin slices pepperoni or similar sausage
4 artichoke hearts, quartered
8 chicken tenderloins or 8 oz. chicken breast
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes (or mooched from the salad bar)
2 tbs. basil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan cheese (Not Kraft for God’s sake)
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
Prep is mostly just cutting everything down to a size that mixes well with the pasta. If you wish to cut back the prep time, skip roasting the peppers; artichoke hearts these days are commonly found in oil in most stores, as is fresh fettuccine pasta. Since store pasta is dryer than homemade, a few minutes in boiling water is advised. Skip the salt.

Heat olive oil in large skillet and add: peppers, olives, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, chicken and seasonings. Stir every minute or so until chicken is browning. Add fettuccine pasta, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Toss until heated through and top with 1/2 cup more Parmesan.

Serve with wine, candles, and some fine Italian music.