Adventures in Eating: Creamy Lemon Chive Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

Recently I took a cake decorating class from the pastry chef at Disney­land, George Geary. Not only was the class fascinating, it was a delicious experience as well. After decorating the cakes Mr. Geary had made, which ranged from a classic white cake to a rich chocolate truffle cake, my class­mates and I were then treated to a gen­erous piece of each. My taste buds did a lot of tingling that day. Yet, I have to say that my favorite dish of the day came as a surprise. At lunch time, Mr. Geary’s assistant prepared the most scrumptious pasta from a recipe of George’s “cooking teacher” friend.

After I finished my small plate of this savory pasta, I craved more. Un­fortunately, one pound of pasta doesn’t go very far in a class of 18. Needless to say, I never got seconds.

I would not confess this to George, but instead of rushing home to practice my “rosebuds” and “shell borders,” I raced to the market to gather the ingredients for “Creamy Lemon Chive Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus.” I made the pasta for din­ner that night, and contentedly in­dulged myself to three helpings!

Creamy Lemon Chive Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

4 4-ounce chicken breasts, bone‑less
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces linguine, dried
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 lb. asparagus, peeled, trimmed, cut into 1/2″” pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon rind

In a skillet, place the chicken, lem­on juice and olive oil. Saute until tend­er and cut into chunks when cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the linguine un­til al dente, according to the package directions. When pasta is finished, drain in a colander.

Cook the asparagus until it is crisp and tender by steaming or microwav­ing with a small amount of water. Set aside.

Combine the cream and egg yolks in a liquid measuring cup and beat with a fork.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the cooked lingui­ni, chicken, asparagus, and the cream-yolk mixture. Lightly toss to combine the ingredients. Acid the parmesan cheese, chives and lemon rind. Con­tinue to stir until parmesan is just melted. Serve for lunch or dinner. Try to keep under three helpings!

Enjoy.