Experiment with this easy chicken carbonara

It’s been easy to get into a rut this winter, all but hibernating through the deep freezes, but that’s all the more reason to try something new for dinner.

Pasta has been an easy go-to comfort food and an easy food to experiment with. I thought I would try a ricotta sauce instead of my usual tomato-based pasta, but found the recipes less than user-friendly. One called for the ricotta to be pushed through a sieve so it wouldn’t be gritty. I gave that a try and ended up with a ricotta-smeared sieve and nothing else to show for my efforts.

But really, how gritty could ricotta really be? It’s a smooth, creamy, very small curd soft cheese. So I tossed the recipes aside, dumped the ricotta into a large mixing bowl and put a pot of penne on the stove. The refrigerator yielded some chicken breasts, the remains of a pound of bacon and a partial jar of sun-dried tomatoes. I was in business.

I have to admit, that even though we had purposely bought a bag of chopped frozen spinach for this dish, I forgot to add it to the recipe the first night and the meal was still delicious. I did add the spinach to the leftovers and we decided that the dish needed a little more parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes to keep the flavor sharp.

Experiment! This is a dish that would also be delicious with cubed ham and green peas, or maybe some cut asparagus. Use your imagination with the foods you have on hand.

Chris’ Chicken Carbonara

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 6-8 ounces of sliced bacon, cut into squares 1 onion, chopped 3-4 cloves of minced garlic 12 ounces of fresh or cooked and drained frozen chopped spinach 4-8 ounces of julienned sun-dried tomatoes 4 ounces sliced black olives 2 cups of dry penne pasta (or shape of choice) Oil for sauteeing and boiling Sauce 1 pound of ricotta cheese 1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon basil Garlic powder to taste *** Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Add a bit of oil to keep the pasta from sticking. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions and taste preference (about 10-12 minutes.)

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, fry the chopped bacon until almost crisp before adding the chicken, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, adding the tomatoes, spinach and olives about halfway through so they are warmed.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta and parmesan cheeses and season with basil and garlic powder. Add in the meat and vegetable mixture, stir to combine well. Serve.

Once all ingredients are cooked, combine the drained pasta with the ricotta mixture, stirring well, then

Christine Haines is a retired reporter and a culinary enthusiast who collects recipes from around the world and throughout historic time periods, often adding her own twist to an old tradition. She encourages her readers to cook adventurously.