Name: Chicken and Pasta in a Béchamel Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 8 oz. Ziti Pasta ((or pasta of your choice)); 3 tb. All-Purpose Flour; 3 tb. Butter; 2 cups Milk; ⅓ cup Heavy Cream; ½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg; ¼ tsp. White Pepper; 2 tsp. Salt; 1 tsp. Garlic Powder; 1 lb. Chicken Breast; 1 tb. Olive Oil; 1½ cup Shredded Mozzarella; Chopped Parsley (for Garnish)

Béchamel is a classic white sauce originating in France. Served with pasta, this silky sauce is creamy and delicious.

Since Lebanon was under French control for quite a bit of time, whether it’s the French-speaking Lebanese citizens or the French-inspired dishes, you will find French influence throughout Lebanon until this day. For this dish, I used ziti pasta, but more often than not you will find it made with spaghetti or fettuccine, as my mother used to make it. Feel free to use whatever pasta you have on hand. As for the chicken, I sautéed skinless chicken breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

You can substitute with chicken thighs or even use rotisserie chicken if you’d like. When making the sauce, I used the same deep skillet that I cooked the chicken in, so I can savor all those delicious drippings on the bottom of the pan. However, this made the traditional white sauce a little less “white,” which for the extra flavor it brought, was totally worth it. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

STEP 2

Boil a large pot of water. Salt the water and cook pasta according to package directions.

STEP 3

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise for faster cooking. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, garlic powder and black pepper.

STEP 4

Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the seasoned chicken breast and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until fully cooked. Set aside to cool.

STEP 5

Using the same skillet, you cooked the chicken in, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk for 30 seconds.

STEP 6

Heat up the milk in a small saucepan or in microwave for about 1-2 minutes until almost boiling. Add the warm milk slowly to the skillet and whisk thoroughly until the flour/butter mixture fully dissolves.

STEP 7

Add the cold cream to the milk mixture and whisk for 2 minutes until sauce is thickened. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, nutmeg and white pepper and whisk together.

STEP 8

Slice the cooked chicken into ½ inch slices and add to sauce along with the cooked pasta. Mix to combine. If the skillet is not ovenproof, empty pasta mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish and top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.