Vacarro’s Chicken Ricotta

After half a century, cultivating personal friendships with guests is still Tony Vacarro’s favorite part of running a restaurant. At Tony’s Italian Restaurant in Oglethorpe, GA, a customer favorite is the “Chicken Ricotta” which Tony created years ago with his brother Armando. Dressed in a rich tomato cream sauce, Chicken Ricotta features sautéed strips of chicken breast and fresh mushrooms over a bed of freshly cooked linguine. Delizioso!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed fresh garlic
• 3/4 cup hand crushed canned plum tomatoes, with juice
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch wide strips
• 2 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
• 6 tablespoons whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Regiano cheese
• Hot cooked linguine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook briefly until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cream, stir through. Add chicken, simmer 2 minutes, or until about ½ cooked. Stir in mushrooms, ricotta, and wine. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in Parmigiano Regiano. Serve over linguine; sprinkle each serving with chopped basil. Serve with additional grated Parmigiano Regiano.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.