Penne in Almond Sauce

Last week, I was in the company of very dear friends to celebrate my birthday.

Our dear friend Mrs. E was so gracious, she opened her home to me and Veggie Girl, and she prepared us this delicious pasta---a  Giada de Laurentis recipe.  Veggie Girl insisted on bringing cake.  While she debated on Tiramisu or Mango Cake, I think she couldn't have picked a better cake than the mango cake she brought from Olympic Bakery.  You would think that tiramisu and pasta pair well together, right?  But the mango cake was a refreshing treat after our main course.  Mrs. E's mom made delicious coffee for us to go with our mango cake.  With good conversation, good company, great food and another wonderful year, who could ask for anything more? -GG-


Ingredients:
Adapted from Giada de Laurentis' recipe

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 2 cups (9 ounces) blanched, slivered almonds
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 store-bought, rotisserie chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup frozen petite peas
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 large lemon, zested
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Procedure:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
  In a blender, combine the almonds, chicken stock, olive oil, and garlic. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a large skillet and turn the heat on to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken, peas, cream and lemon zest. Cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is heated through, about 4 minutes (mixture will be thick). Season with salt and pepper, to taste
  Put the cooked pasta into a serving bowl and add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Toss together until the pasta is coated. Add the chicken mixture, the remaining cheese and the basil. Toss the ingredients together, adding the reserved pasta water, as needed, to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Mango Cake from Olympic Bakery in Temple City.  Those are thinly sliced fresh mangoes draped over two layers of chiffon cake.  Mango chunks are filled in between the layers.  Delish!

And that's me wishing to win the lottery.