Comfort Chicken and Pasta

Guess I've needed some comforting lately... so what else would I crave but something rich and delicious! Since I can't eat eggs, I sorely miss making spaghetti alla carbonara. Therefore, I wanted to make a pasta that was reminiscent of the egg version, to at least somewhat curb my cravings! Breaded and pan-fried chicken cutlets always remind me of my childhood-- Nine times out of ten, if we had chicken in the house, we cooked it in this manner! (Again, we usually used an egg batter to bread the chicken, so I have substituted buttermilk, which I think works even better than eggs!) The best part about this meal is that it takes less than half an hour to make!

Comfort Pasta

8 oz pasta, small shapes such as shells or ditalini

2 oz cubed pancetta

4 T butter

1 cup half and half

4 oz finely shredded hard cheese (combination of parmesan and asiago works well! However, we always used up whatever we had in the house for this type of sauce!)

1 T fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 T fresh oregano, finely chopped

1/2 cup frozen green peas

Cook pasta in boiling water. When pasta is almost done, add frozen peas and cook for 1 minute.

While pasta is cooking, saute pancetta in a skillet until browned and fat is rendered. Reduce heat to medium low, then add butter and half and half, stirring mixture with a wooden spoon. Once butter is melted, gradually add in cheese, stirring well after each addition, until all the cheese is incorporated into the sauce. Stir in thyme and oregano, then season with pepper (and salt, if desired). Pour sauce over cooked pasta and peas. Serve with extra parmesan if desired.

Comfort Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 to 1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (store bought or homemade)

Salt and pepper

Pound chicken breasts flat between 2 pieces of wax paper. Cut each piece in half and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle with flour on both sides.

Pour buttermilk into a wide bowl. Pour half of breadcrumbs onto a plate. Dredge floured chicken in buttermilk, then place on top of breadcrumbs. Pour extra breadcrumbs on top of chicken and press breadcrumbs to help them stick to the chicken, pressing breadcrumbs on the sides as well. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour about 2 T olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil) into hot skillet. Saute chicken on each side until golden brown.

Serve with Comfort Pasta.