Pan Fried Chicken with Basil Pasta and Parmesan Cream Sauce

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I love to talk about food. If I hear you've been to a really good restaurant, I want to hear all about what you ordered- about any creative sauces, what it came with, how it tasted, how it was presented. The more details the better. Sometimes I get inspired to try something at home. Well, my mother-in-law and I were on the phone recently while I was using my new pasta machine to make basil pasta. That reminded her of something she ordered at the Cheesecake Factory that she loved called Chicken Bellagio. All she had to see was Parmesan cream sauce and she had me. Here is the recipe for what we came up with at home.

It's true- I bought a pasta maker. It was a major workout just rolling those noodles out, so I'm wondering if I need to add more water to the dough. They were so good, though!

Here is the recipe from my friend Marianne. She taught a great class on how to make your own noodles!

Homemade Pasta

2 cups flour
1 egg
1/3 cup water

Stir together; knead into a smooth ball; divide into pieces small enough to handle; roll out by hand or with a pasta machine; cut into noodles. You may either dry them at this point to cook later, or drop them into boiling salted water and cook. (Watch them though. They won't take as long to cook as store-bought noodles). For basil (or spinach): puree basil with some of the water and add to the mixture. You'll have to play with the amounts to get it right.

Pan-Fried Chicken with Basil Pasta and Parmesan Cream Sauce

4 chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded to 1/4 inch thick
butter
olive oil
1 1/2 c flour
1 T salt
2 tsp black pepper
fettucine noodles (store bought or homemade, basil noodles would be best - I used half plain/half basil)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cream
1/2 c milk
1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil
4 oz. prosciutto
Parmesan cheese

Combine flour, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off any excess. In a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet, add 3 Tbs of olive oil - enough to coat- and saute chicken in batches over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. When finished, transfer the skillet to a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add cream and milk and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until it thickens. For last three minutes of cooking, add a handful of Parmesan cheese and coarsely chopped basil. Chop prosciutto into small pieces. Mix pasta, cream sauce, and prosciutto together. Serve pasta with chicken.