Quick Recipe Help

[SaintAnselm]

I am looking to make a spicy chicken alfredo tonight. I have found a recipe for an alfredo sauce online and am trying to figure the best way to add the "spicy" part. Should I just season the chicken or do I need to do the sauce as well? What should I use to achieve the spicyness? Any ideas??

Also, if anyone has a good alfredo sauce recipe I would rather use one from here than from anywhere else.

[flere-imsaho]

I'd probably add red pepper flakes to the sauce.

[WSUCougar]

Depends on what kind of "spicy" you're aiming for. Curry, crushed red pepper, chili powder, pepper or other hot sauce, etc.

Off the top of my head I'd say season the sauce with crushed red pepper to taste (start with a little and work up the "spicy" scale).

[flere-imsaho]

The reason I suggest red pepper flakes (or crushed red pepper, as WSUCougar suggests) is that seems, to me, to be the kind of thing that most goes with a creamy italian sauce. Chilis, for instance, just wouldn't go with the dish, and if you go with curry spices, you're ending up more with an Indian tasting meal (which wouldn't be bad, but may not be what you want). I'd also avoid tabasco or other forms of hot sauce as I think they'll make your alfredo sauce less rich and more vinegary.

[albionmoonlight]

White pepper tastes like black pepper but will not make your alfredo sauce look like country gravy.

[WSUCougar]

And albion's indian name is "Dances with Peppers."

[JeeberD]

Crushed red pepper is the way to go with Italian food...

[Chas in Cinti]

Crushed red pepper would be my first choice... however, believe it or not, I've had some measure of success with Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning in Italian white sauces. Just be aware that you'll need to balance out the saltiness (perhaps a bit of olive oil in the sauce while simmering)...

-Chas

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Crushed red pepper is the way to go with Italian food...

Just a note that capers are also very useful for putting a kick in Italian food, but I wouldn't use them with a creamy sauce. They're more for stuff like puttanesca.

[terpkristin]

Another thought...are you opposed to using sausage? You can get a nice spicy Italian sausage instead of chicken, and that would definitely add some kick.

/tk

[rkmsuf]

BAM! Another notch!!!!

[terpkristin]

Recipe found: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/rec...edo40939.shtml

• fettuccine noodles
• 4 cups diced chicken
• 1 med. onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 sticks butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 cup green onions
• 1 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups whipping cream
• 1 pound cooked bacon
• salt, pepper, garlic powder,onion powder, and red pepper to taste

Cook fettuccine noodles. Saute chicken, onion and garlic in butter until onions are transparent. Add seasonings and Tabasco sauce and cook for five minutes. Take chicken out and add green onions, Parmesan cheese, and whipping cream until thick. (About 10-20 minutes). Add bacon. Pour chicken and sauce over noodles.

NOTE: For a less spicy version, omit the Tabasco sauce and red pepper



==============

/tk

[JPhillips]

I second Chas in Cinti. The Chachere's cajun seasoning in alfredo sauce is very good and can be very spicy. It also adds a little color to the top of the dish which is nice.

[terpkristin]

For future cooking reference in general, I wholly recommend the cookbooks by America's Test Kitchen (from the publishers of Cook's Illustrated magazine). Using their recipes, I have made some of the best food I've ever eaten--including a pumpkin pie that tasted better than my mom's.

I looked in my ATK collection for alfredo...oddly enough, they seem to not have done it yet.

But, either way, the new cookbook (a large compendium) is called "The New Best Recipe" and you can check out the website, http://www.americastestkitchen.com

/tk