Jamie's Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake

In between Christmas and New Year I did lots of cooking to fill up my freezer again after weeks of laziness with cooking in December. I had a really lovely time making pies, soup and pasta and rice dishes in between painting lots of door frames in my hall way. They have now gone from green to white! One of the dishes that I made was Jamie Oliver's Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake (spaghetti tetrazzini), it fitted the bill using mushrooms and chicken thighs, both of which I had a lot of. I had the first portion today for lunch and I have to report that its really rather tasty.

I am adding this to this week's Presto Pasta Nights round up, this week hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. Check out her blog on Friday for the round up.



Jamie's Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake (spaghetti tetrazzini) (from Jamie's Italy - Jamie Oliver)
(Serves 4)

20g/a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms
olive oil
4 chicken thighs, boned, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
350g/2 handfuls of mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and torn
200ml oz white wine
455g dried spaghetti
500ml double cream
200g Parmesan cheese, grated
a sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Put your porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them (approx. 150ml/5½fl oz). Put to one side to soak for a few minutes.

Heat a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients, and pour in a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil.

Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down. Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. Add the cream to the pan of chicken, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all of the basil and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or non-stick pan, sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp.

Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving.