Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Chicken

Lil' sis's favorite dish of all time is fettuccine Alfredo.

Alfredo alla Scrofa, is one of two restaurants in Rome, that claim to have invented this dish. (The restaurant is located near the Piazza Navona and Pantheon if anyone makes it to Rome to check it out.) The original version calls for just fettuccine noodles, butter, and Parmesan cheese.

Really? No cream? I like the addition of broccoli, and chicken. It's the cream though that makes fettuccine Alfredo the fattiest item on any restaurant menu. Eat this sparingly. Or make a big pot and freeze it in small portions like I did for lil' sis.

The older '88 caught a ride with her on the way back to school and I packed a container for my cousin to eat along the way. She wolfed it all down pretty quickly, so lil' sis was generous enough to share one of her to-freeze portions. Just one though. And only because she's family. Lil' sis hoards her supply of Pesto, Bulgogi/Kalbi (Korean Marinated Meat and Short Ribs), and fettuccine Alfredo. She says she shares other food with her roommate, just not the good stuff. :P

Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Chicken

For about 4 servings, you'll need:
1 lb fettuccine noodles, boiled, drained
1 or 2 chicken breast or thighs, sliced into 1x2 inch pieces
1 package frozen broccoli (I prefer frozen broccoli because it's already soft. If you're using fresh broccoli, boil, blanch, or steam it first.)
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup butter
2 cups of milk
1 cup of heavy cream, or omit this and up the milk if you're trying to cut down on the fat, but really, who are you kidding? No one makes this dish if they're watching their weight.
2 tblsp flour
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste

In a large pan on medium-high heat, saute chicken and garlic until chicken is mostly cooked on the outside. Scoop chicken onto a plate and set aside. Reserve the juices in the pan, the chicken juices will flavor the sauce even more this way.

Add the butter and when it's half-melted, add 2 tblsp of flour. Keep stirring until a light roux is formed.

Add 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of cream, adjusting liquids if you need more.

Turn the heat down to medium low, add broccoli and chicken, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is as thick as you'd like.

Add salt to taste.

Add cooked fettuccine noodles and toss until mixed. I don't know about you but my old stove takes forever to boil water so I actually have the water going at the same time as I'm making the sauce. Then when the pasta is ready, I use a pasta spoon to scoop it out straight into the sauce. I don't worry about draining it as a bit of the pasta water blends in to thicken the sauce anyway.

Enjoy!