Chicken (of the Woods) Alfredo

Time for another Chicken of the Woods recipe! We found this gloriously versatile orange funky wild mushroom while hiking in the Catskills and started by making Orange Garlic Wild Mushroom Egg Rolls! Having used this ingredient as a base for Asian flavours a few times, we decided to go a totally different direction and use it as a substitute for chicken (the actual bird) in an Italian classic! So, we cut our chicken into chunks, steamed some broccoli, and made our own Alfredo sauce before tossing everything together with pasta!

Everyone really enjoyed the “meat,” and it filled in very nicely for more traditional protein ingredients…and the sauce was super creamy and cheesy. In a very real way, this was like a Wild Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese…but without the Roux, and a little saltier due to the fresh Parmesan Cheese.

Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients (makes 3 servings):

• Chicken of the Woods Mushroom
• Broccoli
• Pasta (shape of your choice). We used around 10 oz.
• 3-4 Tablespoons Butter
• 5-6 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Pint Heavy Cream
• A bunch of Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• Black Pepper

Method:

• Cut your broccoli into florets, and steam until it’s tender.
• As your broccoli steams, begin to bring water (with a little olive oil in it) to a boil in a pot large enough to make your pasta.
• Peel your garlic, and either grate it with a microplane grater, or use a garlic press to pulverize.
• Wash your chicken of the woods mushroom, and slice it into chunks.
• Heat some butter in a large pot (we used a Dutch oven), and once it’s melted, add your garlic. Allow to cook for a minute or so to unleash the aromas.
• Add your chicken of the woods to the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes. Then, add your broccoli, and keep cooking.
• Add your pasta to your water pot, and cook until tender.
• Add your heavy cream to your mushroom/broccoli pot, and then slowly add in your milk. Bring to a simmer, and then add in your shredded parmesan cheese. Stir to combine as it melts.
• When your sauce has thickened a bit, and your pasta is soft, drain your pasta water, and add your noodles to the chicken/broccoli pot. Fold them in to combine and get coated with your sauce.
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!