The Mississippi book is chock-full of terrific recipes that
celebrate the state’s seafood, agriculture, and history. I made a list of more
than 40 recipes I wanted to try from this book, so my parents let me borrow it
for a while. (Thanks, guys!!) The first thing I made was chicken fettuccine with roasted
pecans. It was creamy and crunchy and downright delicious. It was so pretty I
put it in an antique serving dish before we dug in!
Chicken fettuccine
with roasted pecans
¾ cup margarine, divided
3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 ½ cups sliced green onions
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
10 ounces fettuccine or linguini
2/3 cup half and half
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped pecans, roasted
Melt ¼ cup margarine in a large skillet. Add chicken and sauté
until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, green onions, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon
pepper, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about
5 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. While
pasta is cooking, melt remaining ½ cup margarine. Combine half and half, parsley,
remaining salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix well. Drain pasta
and put in a 2-quart dish. Pour margarine mixture into chicken-vegetable
mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened slightly. Pour over pasta; top
with cheese and roasted pecans. I added some extra parsley, sprinkled across the top. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.
