Spaghetti in Alfredo sauce with Chicken in BBQ sauce

Here is my other blog on perfect weekend dinner. Whenever we go out usually on weekends, either we get long waiting at our favorite restaurant and if we choose another restaurant getting parking space is a big task.

Recently I googled some weekend recipes and came across this particular recipe which is delicious and easy. Weekends usually we are not in the mood to cook and this recipe comes to rescue. 

Here goes the recipe:

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 4


Ingredients :

MARINATION OF CHICKEN:
6 pieces Boneless Chicken 
1 cup Barbecue sauce
3 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
1.5 tablespoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt to taste

ALFREDO SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cream (I used Amul fresh cream)
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs (oregano,basil,thyme)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated cheese, plus more for sprinkling over the final dish, if desired.

SPAGHETTI:
1 packet spaghetti
1 large onion

METHOD:

ALFREDO SAUCE PREPARATION:
1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Make sure the butter does not brown since this sauce is in a creamy white color.
2. Carefully pour the cream into the saucepan with the melted butter. Add salt and pepper to taste and add herbs too.
3. Bring the butter-cream mixture to boiling; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the sauce gently until it begins to thicken, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. This will take 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat.Stir in the  cheese.
5. Continue stirring until the cheese is incorporated into the sauce. Your sauce is now ready to toss with pasta or use as desired.

CHICKEN PREPARATION:
1. First, let's wash, clean and pat dry chicken pieces. Let's begin by marinating the chicken. Assemble all the ingredients and in a bowl lay out the chicken pieces,pour barbecue sauce on top of it. You can even combine the sauces, stir in the spices and mix till its well blended - then pour it on top of the chicken.
2. Add in soy sauce and spices and give it a good mix till everything blends well with the chicken. Cover and allow it to marinate for 2-3 hours.
3. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and add marinated chicken to it. Keep sauteing on a medium flame. As chicken gets cooked, pull it out of the pan onto an plate and using a fork shred it into pieces.
4. Return shredded chicken back to the pan and keep sauteing till all the liquid reduces and sauce becomes thick and sticks to the chicken. Barbecue chicken is ready.

CARAMELIZING ONIONS:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan and add onion julienne's to it. Keep stirring on a medium flame and within 7-8 minutes you will have beautifully caramelized and crispy onions ready for our recipe.

SPAGHETTI PREPARATION:
1. In a pan boil spaghetti according to the package instructions, add 1 tablespoon oil and season it with salt.
2. When spaghetti is perfectly cooked, drain it through a colander. When fully drained, return it to the pan and stir in dried basil leaves, salt and diluted Alfredo sauce. Give it a good stir until all the spaghetti blends in with the sauce.

ASSEMBLING SPAGHETTI AND CHICKEN:
1. Get your serving plate ready - to serve make a bed of spaghetti on the plate, sprinkle some caramelized onions on top and finish it with barbecued chicken.
2. Toss in some dried basil leaves just before serving.

POINTS TO BE NOTED:
1. In case if your sauce thickens, add little milk to get your desired consistency and bring it to a boil.
2. while adding cheese to Alfredo sauce make sure the pan is off the heat, as high heat can cause the cheese to clump or become stringy rather than melt smoothly.
3. while making Alfredo sauce when cream added to butter ensure you stir continuously to avoid lumps.
4. To enhance taste of Alfredo sauce you can add dried garlic powder in it.