Every now and then I get in the dinner "rut" and have to start searching for something new. I love Cooks Illustrated. I found this while searching for new creative ideas. This won't exactly replace or add to a weeknight dinner menu as it was fairly time consuming but I am very excited none the less. This would be a perfect dinner party entree. The nice thing about this is the ability to do prep earlier in the day, or even the day before.
The filling consisted of a cheese base including parm, mozzarella, and goat. Shredded chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, pine-nuts, a host of herbs and a little lemon zest with an egg to bind made up the rest of the filling. The sauce was a nice take on a Mornay using the addition of chicken broth and more herbs. I love using lasagna noodles as a way to bundle up the filling goodness into nice little packages. I can't wait to use this filling in ravioli. I love when a recipe can do double duty.....how fun is that!
Goat Cheese, Chicken, & Tomato Roll-ups Recipe
Ingredients
CHICKEN AND SAUCE:1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed
2 1/2cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium onion , minced
4 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
FILLING AND NOODLES:
10 ounces goat cheese
6 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese , shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (1 cup)
1 large egg , lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts , toasted
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , rinsed, patted dry, and chopped fine
16 no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
- For the chicken and sauce: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the chicken and broth in a large saucepan, cover, and simmer over medium heat until the breasts register 160 to 165 degrees and the thighs register 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and pour the liquid into a measuring cup. Let the chicken cool slightly, then shred the meat into bite-size pieces (see illustration below).
- Wipe the pot dry, add the butter, and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the white wine and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 30 seconds.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved broth and cream. Stir in the bay leaves and nutmeg, and simmer, whisking often, until the sauce is thickened and measures about 31/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, remove and discard the bay leaves. Whisk in the Parmesan and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the sauce to keep warm; set aside.
- For the filling and noodles: In a large bowl, combine the goat cheese, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until uniform. Gradually stir 1/2 cup of the sauce into the cheese mixture, then fold in the shredded chicken, pine nuts, oregano, 1/2 cup of the basil, and sun-dried tomatoes; set aside.
- Pour 1 inch of boiling water into a 13 by 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish and slip the noodles into the water, one at a time. Let the noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating the noodles with the tip of a knife to prevent sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard the water and dry the baking dish.
- Spread 1 cup more sauce over the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Mound 1/4 cup of the chicken-cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of each noodle and roll, and compact into a tidy log. Roll the noodle up around the filling, and lay seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the filled noodles, covering the pasta completely.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray (or use nonstick foil). Bake until the edges are just bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
- TO MAKE AHEAD Assemble the Pasta Roll-Ups with Chicken and Goat Cheese or Pasta Roll-Ups with Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts through step 7, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed in steps 8 and 9, increasing the covered baking time in step 8 to 45 to 55 minutes.
