Chicken Gorgonzola Pasta with Balsamic Broccoli

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken, but you can even make it without chicken and just use mushrooms for a vegetarian variation. You don't need to use expensive cheese here; a domestic gorgonzola-style cheese will suffice.

The balsamic broccoli is a really nice touch here. Its sweetness offsets the tangy blue cheese. I love this flavor combination.


You'll need:

leftover or otherwise cooked chicken breast meat (no skin, gristle, etc)-- spices on the meat are fine; they'll make your pasta sauce that much better

pasta of your choice (I used farfalle)

shittake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced (each mushroom should yield about 4 slices)
1 onion, sliced
red pepper flakes

2T flour or Wondra flour
1c milk (nonfat is fine)
1/2c gorgonzola, or more to taste

broccoli
2T olive oil
2T balsamic vinegar


Heat oven to 400 degrees. Break broccoli into florets and toss with salt, pepper, oil & vinegar. Roast on a baking sheet about 20 minutes, until golden brown (vinegar will make broccoli very dark in spots).

In the meantime, boil salted water and cook your pasta.

While water is boiling and broccoli is roasting, heat some olive oil in a large heavy skillet and saute onion, mushrooms, and red pepper until mushrooms turn golden. Slice chicken very thinly and toss into cooked mushrooms. Toss to warm chicken.

Add flour and stir until it disappears. Add milk and stir; sauce should thicken as milk is absorbed. Turn off heat and add cheese in chunks; toss until cheese melts.

Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add roasted broccoli and serve with additional gorgonzola.

(still good without broccoli)