Chicken and Mushroom Fiori Alfredo

I don’t know about you, but my grocery budget is getting harder to manage. I try very hard to buy organic, fresh, local… but living so close to Dallas means that even a trip to farmer’s market will often result in overpriced produce from South America.

And prices are going up almost minute by minute!

So often if I see something on clearance I buy it, even if I am unsure about it. At my Tom Thumb (Safeway) store the other day they had their brand of organic sausages on sale for 1.50. It was organic chicken and mushroom sausage and not something I am used to working with but I bought it figuring that I could do something with it.

Wow. This was absolutely one of those meals where even I had nothing critical to say! I used Fiori, a flower shaped pasta, and the sausage. If you can’t get the sausage any mild white sausage should be fine. I served it with a Tropical Spinach Salad: fresh organic baby spinach, chunk pineapple, french bread cubes, and macadamia nuts in a dressing made with orange juice and pineapple juice, rice vinegar and organic coconut oil. I will try to get the recipe for that up in the next day or so.

This recipe serves 12 easily. You can half it and freeze with good results. Just thaw and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You may need to add a little milk or cream if it dried a little in the freezer..

Chicken & Mushroom Fiori Alfredo

1 lb organic chicken and mushroom sausage or any mild white sausage.

1 lb fiori pasta, cooked a la dente

1 tall can quartered artichoke hearts

1 onion, sliced

1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced

Saute sausage, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil in a pan until vegetables are tender and sausage is slightly browned. Add drained fiori and artichoke hearts and mix well. Set aside.

Alfredo

2 c half and half

1/2 c heavy cream

1/4 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbs unsalted butter

1/2 lb grated parmesan

Mix half and half, cream, and flour until smooth. Add salt and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add butter, salt, and parmesan. Adjust salt to taste. Stir until smooth and then pour over the sausage mixture, stirring well. Spoon into greased casserole and add a little cream or milk if there does not seem to be enough sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This will also be my entry for this week’s Pasta Presto Night from Ruth at Once Upon A Feast!