It has been such a lovely week. The Silver Fox is feeling better, the staples have been removed from his incision and he is strong enough to pace up and down the ski-slope we laughingly call our driveway. While it has been been damp, occasional sun breaks dry the flowers still clinging tenaciously to our  trees.  The apple trees have begun to lose their blossoms, and when the wind gusts, petals drop in waves like fragrant snow. Spring here is a season of aching beauty that I wish all of you could see. There is other good news to report as well. Most of us laugh at the phrase, technical support. Believe it or not, it actually exists. I had a pleasant and productive encounter with the support team at Photobucket this week. They were pleasant and professional and I want to publicly thank Peggy and her team for solving a problem I could not handle on my own. Kudos, guys.

We've been eating a lot of noodles and pasta the past few weeks. This recipe is one of my own and my healing husband thought it should be added to the collection I maintain here. While the recipe is original, the idea behind it comes from a butter enriched tomato concasse  that Craig Claiborne featured in the original New York Times Menu Cookbook. That recipe used nearly a stick of butter and a half cup of heavy cream. I cannot lie to you, it was delicious, and back in the day when our metabolisms ran quicker than common sense, I made it often. It was so flavorful that I've worked at developing a recipe that had the flavor, if not the richness of that fondly remembered dish. At this time, the only thing the two recipes have in common is the use of tomatoes and egg noodles. This is a lovely quick casserole for a family supper. Deli rotisserie chicken eliminates the need to poach a chicken, and most of the butter and all of the cream have been eliminated, so, this stand-in bears almost no resemblance to its prototype. Is it as good? Honestly, no, but it is delicious in its own right and it is much better for you than Craig's version. One of the ingredients I use in the recipe is a concentrated sun-dried tomato paste made by Amore. It adds enormous flavor to the sauce that binds the chicken and noodles together and I urge you to use it if you can. I am not being compensated for my recommendation and I rarely specify a brand in my recipes. When I do, it's because I've found the product to be best of show. I hope you'll you'll give this dish a try. It is a great family meal. Here's the recipe.

Chicken and Noodles with Parmesan and Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

One-Step Sauce Aurore

1-1/2 cups cold milk

2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour (i.e. Wondra)

1 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon concentrated sun-dried tomato paste (i.e. Amore)

1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided use

Casserole Mixture

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

4 cups cooked egg noodles

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Light spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with cooking spray. Set aside.

2) To make sauce Aurore: Combine milk, flour, butter, salt and pepper in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in sun-dried tomato paste, tarragon, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

2) To make casserole mixture: Heat butter and oil in 12-inch skillet. When butter has melted, add onions and cook until transparent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sir in tomatoes and parsley. Cook until tomatoes soften, but do not cook them to a pulp. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chicken and cooked noodles to pan. Add tomato sauce and stir until all ingredients are combined. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top mixture with reserved 1/4 cup cheese and bake until heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.

This post is being linked to Flowers for Leontien at A Rural Journal.

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