Fettuccine with Venetian Chicken Sauce

We had some left over chicken. The cookbook On Top of Spaghetti has chocked full of recipes of spaghetti sauces. We decided to make this one to re-purpose the left over chicken.

Fettuccine with Venetian Chicken Sauce

On Top of Spaghetti

Johanne Killeen and George Germon

Serves 6 to 8 as a first course or 4 to 6 as a main course

In Venice, water is everywhere. With the

canals and the lagoon spilling into the Adriatic, one associates Venetian cooking with fish and seafood. It's true you can eat delectable local sea creatures in a select group of impeccable restaurants. We have feasted on razor clams, scallops, feisty mantis shrimp, inkv cuttlefish, and octopus—the list goes on. But there is more to this cucina. You could be regaled by grilled radicchio from nearby Treviso; steamed white asparagus from Bassano; wild mush­rooms prepared in every imaginable guise; criminally rich Venetian calves' liver; risotto with vegetables, meats, or white truffles; silky, homemade pastas; and some yen- impressive desserts. One dish we have found inspirational is a delicate vegetable sauce made with tiny pieces of diced chicken tossed with ribbon noodles .We took this food souvenir ofVenezia home with us and created a sauce and pasta that evoke happy memories of that magic city. Our elegant, suave sauce is made with carrots. Its striking yellow-orange color is food for the eyes.

2          cups homemade chicken stock

8          ounces skinned and boned chicken breasts

6          tablespoons unsalted butter

1          small garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

¼         teaspoon sea salt

1         cup tomato juice, preferably organic

1         pound dried fettuccine or fresh fettuccine

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Rcggiano

1.   Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan,

2.   Cut the chicken breasts into lengthwise strips about the width of a finger. Drop the strips into the boiling stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the cover and set aside, allowing the chicken to cool in the liquid. When cool, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and reheat the stock.

3.   Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoon of the butter in another large/saucepan. Stir in the garlic and cook over low heat until the garlic becomes golden. Add 1 cup water to prevent the garlic from j browning. Stir to combine. Add the carrots and salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the mixture is nearly dry with just a bit of water left. Be vigilant and stir constantly toward the end of this step to be sure the carrots do not brown at all. Add the hot stock and tomato juice. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, set the cover ajar, and simmer gently for 35 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft. Puree with an immersion blender until you have a smooth puree. Set aside.

4.   Cut the chicken strips lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then cut across to make 1/8-inch dice. Add the chicken to the sauce and reheat gently.

5.   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and drop in the fettuccine. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a heated platter or shallow gratin dish. Toss with the remaining butter and fold in enough sauce to coat the noodles generously. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve at once. Pass more cheese at the table.