ok…i just have to sit down for a minute. it’s been go go go the last several days. oh the fall schedule. it always sneaks up on me. you think a week after school starts that you are starting to get it down and then every week you add one more thing into the schedule…a practice, a class, a game, a volunteer opportunity, a dinner, a playdate, a Bible study, a prayer group, a support group for people who are too busy…you know and then all of a sudden IT’S FALL and you might be a little too busy.

at least that’s how i’m feeling right now.

still, it’s mostly super fun and we are enjoying the cooler weather so much that who cares what else is going wrong…car trouble, car tag violation, whatever…bring it!

we have a wednesday night dinner that is a joy to me because i get to see people i love who serve at our church in a way that amazes me (with high school students) and i get to cook. even if i’m too busy. and i love to cook. so i had this amazing baked pasta dish at cafe prego last week that i have been wanting to try to copy. and now, the result of much recipe reading and instinct following and substituting ingredients is now in the oven. i am very excited about it. if it is a total bust, then we will eat salad and bread (and chocolate cake, of course) and taido will take baked chicken pasta for lunch for an eternity. and if it is a smashing success, it may be the last time anyone tastes it for i am not sure i can remember what all i have done at this point and i didn’t really measure anything. so here’s my attempt to remember my newly created and mostly copied recipe for baked chicken pasta. don’t write it down until i serve it tonight and let you know how it goes over, but i have a hunch that it’s going to be good. let’s hope so.

baked chicken pasta with creamy red sauce

(makes enough for 3 9×13 pans)

1 large bag chicken (mine had 11 breasts)

marinated overnight in 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups olive oil, salt and pepper

grilled and cut into chunks

3 16oz boxes fettucine, cooked a little less (9 minutes) than the package instructions, and divided into 3 9×13 pans, drizzled with olive oil

lots of parmesan cheese (probably 4-6 cups)

3/4 of a stick of butter

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar organic marinara sauce

about 1/2 cup flour

about 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon herbes of provence

salt and pepper

cook and divide pasta, divide chicken among dishes, mix some parmesan into each pan of pasta and chicken.

melt butter in large cast iron skillet, add garlic and herbes of provence for about 4 minutes. turn heat to med low and add 1/4 cup flour gradually. add marinara sauce. slowly add remaining flour. let sauce thicken, stirring constantly. slowly add cream until sauce reaches desired consistency. salt and pepper to taste. pour sauce over the three dishes of pasta. mix in a little with forks. spread parmesan cheese on top. (mozzarella would probably be better here, but i seem to be out.) bake at 400 degrees for around 30 minutes.

ok…now i’m going to go and attend to my kitchen. it sort of looks like something exploded in there. either that or my sister’s been here.

notes added later:

You really need twice as much sauce for this much pasta, but this is a great dish to make ahead and freeze, or to take to someone in need of a meal, so I’m going to double the amount of creamy red sauce and continue to make three 9×13 pans of it.  You can make the sauce above and just use 1 1/2 pounds of pasta if you want.