This is a super-quick, effortless pasta dish, which is perfect when you’ve just come home from work and you’re tired and not in the mood to cook. It’s simple, it’s easy and best of all, it’ll fill you up on these chilly autumn evenings.
It takes just a handful of ingredients to make the sauce and, once the chicken is cooked, the meal comes together in a flash. Sophie uses linguine pasta but any shape will do. It’s a light and tasty dish – the perfect pick-me-up supper.
Sophie Morris has just launched her debut cookbook Sophie Kooks
Serves 4
olive oil
4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
200 g crème fraîche
juice of 1 lemon, divided
450–500 g linguine pasta
Heat a few lugs of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken strips and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Fry for a few minutes, then add the chillies and parsley. Fry for 5–7 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and golden. Add the crème fraîche and half the lemon juice and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pan of boiling salted water, according to packet instructions. Always cook pasta in a large volume of water. The Italians say the water should be as salty as sea water, so use plenty of salt and you won’t have to season after cooking. Cook the pasta until al dente (tender but firm to the bite).
Drain the pasta, keeping back a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Return the pasta to its pan and stir with the cooking water. This will help to loosen the pasta and retain the seasoning. Add the chicken mixture to the cooked pasta and stir well to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice if needs be. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.
Sophie Kooks is available nationwide €22.99 and is also now available in bite-sized, seasonal chunks which can be downloaded from major eBook outlets for €1.99. Make sure you check back on Monday when Her.ie will have a big interview with the lady herself!
