Asparagus Chicken Alfredo

I came up with this Asparagus Chicken Alfredo one night when my boyfriend and I were coming home from work. It was the first cold night of the year and as we drove home Jeff said to me, "Let's make something with that fresh asparagus we bought from the green market tonight. Can you make something with Pasta?"

Can I make something with pasta??? Of course I can make something with pasta. I started to do a food inventory in my head of what we had at the house. I always have several different pasta shapes and I knew I had parmigiano (of course) there as well. I thought well, I have butter, I know that. I have cream, I'm almost sure of that.

Alfredo Sauce Recipe!

That's exactly what this night is calling for. Comfort food straight from Italy. I got home and started pulling out my ingredients and searched for a unique pasta shape to add to this chicken and pasta recipe.

Asparagus Chicken Alfredo Ingredients:

• 1 lb Trene Pasta (Trene means train in Italian and these resemble train tracks)
• Follow the instructions of my Alfredo Sauce Recipe
• 2 bunches of fresh asparagus cut into bite size peices
• 1 lb of chicken breast cut into one inch, bite sized peices
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Handful of Italian Parsley chopped (Optional. I almost wish I didn't add the parsley)

Asparagus Chicken Alfredo Instructions:

I started by bringing my water to a boil to cook my trene shaped pasta. It's a fairly hardy shape so it will take a little time but cook it al dente. Rinse in cold water and drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and set aside.

I steamed the asparagus after cutting them into bite size pieces about an inch in length. Just as the water began to boil, I started timing it. I cooked them for one minute, rinsed them in cold water and plopped some ice on top. This helps them retain their bright green color.

I usually put pictures of every step of the cooking process but I am going to assume you all know how to saute the crushed garlic in olive oil and the little bite size pieces of chicken. Cook them until tender but fully cooked. It will only take about 5 minutes since they are so small.

If you follow the directions of the Alfredo sauce recipe page you should be ready to go. Mix all the ingredients, with the exception of the Alfredo sauce, in a pan and heat on low. When the pasta is up to heat, remove from stove and drizzle with the Alfredo Sauce.