Pasta With Chicken and Asparagus Ragu
Published Sept. 5, 2024
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½cup finely chopped white onion
- ½cup finely chopped carrot
- ½cup finely chopped celery
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat) or ground pork
- 1cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½cup heavy cream
- 1fresh oregano sprig
- 1pound short pasta, such as gemelli or fusilli
- 1pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced ¼-inch-thick (about 2½ cups)
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- ½cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- ¼cup chopped chives, plus more for garnishing
- ½teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
871 calories; 34 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 97 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 46 grams protein; 1136 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
- Step 2
In a large Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot and celery; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Step 3
Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
- Step 4
Add broth, heavy cream and oregano sprig and bring to a simmer, stirring and spreading the meat in an even layer to keep it submerged in the liquid. Cover, adjust heat to medium-low and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes longer. Discard oregano sprig.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente, adding asparagus during the last 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain.
- Step 6
Add pasta mixture and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the chicken ragu and cook over medium, stirring vigorously, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and add lemon juice, cheese, chives and crushed red pepper (if using) and stir until pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 7
Divide pasta among bowls and top each with more cheese and chives. Serve warm.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a great dish. I used pork instead of chicken and subbed Crimini mushrooms for celery. Added a bit more cream at the end. Used a whole what pasta from Sicily. Absolutely marvellous and a big hit.
After reading the comments I decided to make a slightly thicker sauce. I did this by cooking the chopped veggies and chicken first. Once cooked, I put them aside. I then made a simple roux in the same pan of 2 tbsp of butter and flour. Once the roux was ready (few minutes) I added the broth and cream. Brought to a simmer and reduced heat. Once it thickened I added back the chicken mixture. Once pasta was almost done I added asparagus and pasta. Cooked until pasta al dente. The ragu coated the pasta and the meal was approved by my wife and kids.
This made for a hearty, yet still somewhat light and summery, pasta. Made it with turkey because it was a lot easier to find high-quality ground turkey than chicken. Go figure.
Very good weeknight meal. I substituted in ground pork as suggested, otherwise ingredients identical. I used a one-pot cooking method, which ended with asparagus laid on top of pasta for the last 5 minutes. Perfectly crisp tender.
From the comments, it looks like most people made a different recipe. It was rated a 5, yet a few people reported it was very bland and they did not like it. This piqued my curiosity, as it is unusual - I will cook this weekend and report back.
We did not care for this. If I make it again I would double the sauce and meat/veg, half the amount of pasta. It was very bland even with the red pepper flakes