Fettuccine alla Badessa is a rich creamy pasta sauce that's a perfect way to use up the leftovers from a roast; they're rich, but will be quite nice on a cold winter day.
Badessa means Abbess, and I'm not sure where the name comes from.
Badessa means Abbess, and I'm not sure where the name comes from.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup (125-200 ml) drippings from a roast
- Half a glass (100 ml) of dry white wine
- Half a medium chicken breast sauteed in butter (or 2-3 slices of leftover roast meat)
- A 6-ounce (150 g) slice of cooked ham (as opposed to prosciutto)
- 3/4 cup (200 ml) heavy cream
- A pinch of nutmeg
- An egg, lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A pound (500 g) fettuccine
Preparation:
Set pasta water to boil.
In the meantime, cook the chicken breast, and cut it and the ham into thin strips.
Next, heat the drippings in a deep skillet large enough to contain the pasta when it's cooked, deglaze them with the white wine, and then add the chicken and the ham.
Saute for a few minutes over a low flame and then stir in the cream, keeping the flame low. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
By this time the pasta water should be boiling; salt it and cook the fettuccine. As soon as they are barely done, drain them well, turn them into the sauce, and mix well, stirring in the egg (which will thicken the sauce) as well, and turning the flame up slightly. Cook for a minute or two, stirring or shaking the skillet to keep the strands of pasta from sticking and burning.
Serve at once, with grated cheese if you want it, though I might not. A wine? I might go with a Gavi, a white whose acidity will balance the richness of the sauce.
Note: This recipe might seem to contain quite a bit of liquid, but the fettuccine will absorb a fair amount as you toss them in the sauce. Also, the exact amount of drippings is indicative; my Italian source calls for a tazza, which translates as cup, but is not a standard unit of measure in Italy.
In the meantime, cook the chicken breast, and cut it and the ham into thin strips.
Next, heat the drippings in a deep skillet large enough to contain the pasta when it's cooked, deglaze them with the white wine, and then add the chicken and the ham.
Saute for a few minutes over a low flame and then stir in the cream, keeping the flame low. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
By this time the pasta water should be boiling; salt it and cook the fettuccine. As soon as they are barely done, drain them well, turn them into the sauce, and mix well, stirring in the egg (which will thicken the sauce) as well, and turning the flame up slightly. Cook for a minute or two, stirring or shaking the skillet to keep the strands of pasta from sticking and burning.
Serve at once, with grated cheese if you want it, though I might not. A wine? I might go with a Gavi, a white whose acidity will balance the richness of the sauce.
Note: This recipe might seem to contain quite a bit of liquid, but the fettuccine will absorb a fair amount as you toss them in the sauce. Also, the exact amount of drippings is indicative; my Italian source calls for a tazza, which translates as cup, but is not a standard unit of measure in Italy.
