Four loud ideas in one pan, still arguing about who is in charge.
Work in progress. The balance between the pesto and the buffalo sauce is the open question – suggestions very welcome.
Ingredients
Chicken
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs1 | 1 1/2 lb (680 g) |
| Lemon-Pepper Seasoning | 2 Teaspoons |
| Kosher Salt | 1/2 Teaspoon |
| Olive Oil | 1 Tablespoon |
Sauce
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Unsalted Butter | 4 Tablespoons |
| Garlic Cloves | 4, Minced |
| Black Pepper | 1 Teaspoon, Coarsely Cracked |
| Heavy Cream | 1 1/2 Cups |
| Buffalo Sauce2 | 1/3 Cup |
| Basil Pesto3 | 1/4 Cup |
| Parmigiano-Reggiano | 1 Cup, Finely Grated |
| Lemon | 1, Zested, Plus 1 Tablespoon Juice |
| Lemon-Pepper Seasoning | 1 Teaspoon |
Pasta
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Fettuccine | 1 lb (454 g) |
| Reserved Pasta Water | 1 1/2 Cups |
To Finish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Crumbled Blue Cheese or Torn Basil4 | To Taste |
| Parmigiano-Reggiano | To Taste |
| Lemon Zest | To Taste |
Instructions
- Salt a large pot of water heavily and bring to a boil. Toss the chicken thighs with the lemon-pepper seasoning and kosher salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the thighs 5-6 minutes per side, until deeply browned and 175°F (79°C) internal. Move to a cutting board to rest. Do not wipe out the pan.
- Cook the fettuccine to 1 minute under package al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water, then drain.
- Melt the butter in the chicken pan over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits. Add the garlic and cracked pepper and cook 45 seconds, until fragrant – do not let the garlic brown.
- Pour in the heavy cream and simmer gently 4-5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.5
- Take the pan off the heat. Whisk in the buffalo sauce, then the pesto, then the Parmigiano-Reggiano in three additions, until glossy.6
- Finish the sauce with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the remaining teaspoon of lemon-pepper seasoning. Taste and adjust.7
- Slice the chicken against the grain. Return the skillet to low heat, add the drained pasta and a splash of pasta water, and toss hard for a minute until the sauce clings. Add more water a tablespoon at a time – it will look too loose right before it looks right.
- Plate with the chicken on top, extra Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, and your chosen garnish.
It should read hot first, then bright, with the basil arriving last.
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Thighs hold up to the sauce better than breast does. ↩
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Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce, not plain hot sauce. The homemade Buffalo Sauce works too, and is richer – cut the butter in this recipe to 3 tablespoons if you use it. ↩
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Pesto is a seasoning here, not the sauce. Cheap jarred pesto tastes like grass clippings under this much dairy. ↩
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Pick one. Blue cheese pulls the dish toward wings, basil pulls it toward Italian. Both at once tastes confused. ↩
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Keep it at a lazy bubble. A hard boil here is what makes it break later. ↩
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Off the heat matters – the vinegar in the buffalo sauce plus boiling cream and cheese is exactly how this curdles. ↩
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Lemon-pepper blends vary wildly in salt, so taste before adding any more. ↩