I’ve always wanted to go to Italy for a vacation, and in my fantasy of that trip, I would ride my bicycle through the Tuscan hillside, villa to villa, vineyard to vineyard, and I would taste one pecorino after another, sample one delicious reserve from the valleys of Val Di Chiana after another. I met the mayor of Montepulciano in New Orleans a few weeks ago at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum and he brought a feast of Italian delights. This small Italian village is number one on my travel list.
In the mood to mix up a pasta dish now? I love this Southern casserole classic with a little kimchi mixed in. If you want it to be vegan, replaced the chicken with 4 cups of tofu and use vegetable broth (and definitely the spicy kimchi instead of the mild).
Kimchi Chicken Spaghetti
Adapted from Southern Living
6 cups unsalted chicken stock 1 (14-oz.)
1 rotisserie chicken, cooked, then shred the chicken from it, reserve the bones and skin
16 ounce uncooked spaghetti
1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lower-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 1/2 cups chopped red, purple and green bell pepper, however you want
2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 3 medium tomatoes)
4 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 14.5 oz container Nasoya white mild kimchi (If you want to spice it up, use the Nasoya spicy kimchi!)
Remove the meat from the rotisserie chicken. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring 6-8 cups of water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high, and add the remaining pieces of the chicken (bones, skin, questionable bits, etc). Boil for 10-15 minutes. Strain the bits out and into the liquid, boil the pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes. Transfer pasta to a medium bowl (reserving stock). Return stock to a boil over high; boil until liquid is reduced to about 2 1⁄2 cups, about 1 minute. Whisk together evaporated milk and flour in a small bowl. Stir into stock; boil until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt. Pour stock mixture over pasta. Set aside.
Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add butter, onion, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; add pasta mixture back to Dutch oven. Add chicken and tomatoes and kimchi to Dutch oven; toss to coat. Pour mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Lightly coat aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover with foil; bake until cheese is melted, 25 to 30 minutes.
This content is sponsored by Nasoya and my tasting of wines from Val di Chiana were complimentary from SOFAB.