Creamy Garlic Shells |
I know that everyone is looking for simplicity when
making dinner. We are all pressed for time and don’t want to think or do more
work after a long day. We just want dinner. I assume that is the reason for the
popularity of all those boxes of Side-dish-a-roni. This is recipe is just as
easy and much healthier. It is also cheaper. I serve this with roasted chicken
or pork chops.
You can change this up by throwing in chopped bacon
slices before serving. I also sometime stir in ¼ cup defrosted, frozen carrots
and peas with the sauce. If you stir in chopped cooked chicken, this becomes a
meal rather than a side dish. You can use chicken bullion to make this easier.
You can also use dried chives. I like to use Gourmet Garden
Lightly Dried Herbs. You can probably find them in the produce section. They last forever and taste better.
Servings: 8- ½ cup servings
Time:
Active time 7 minutes; Cook: 11 minutes, side dish in under 20 minutes
Hardware:
Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knife or a garlic press, a large
pot, a sauce pot, a colander, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a silicone spatula
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- Salt and pepper
Creamy Garlic Shells |
- Dice the garlic and the chives if you are using fresh. Keep separate and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter over medium in the sauce pot. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour and whisk until there are no lumps and the roux is a deep golden color, probably another 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium high. Slowly, whisk in the chicken broth. Then stir in the milk. The sauce will thicken as it boils. Remove from the heat.
- Drain the pasta. Place the pasta in the mixing bowl. Stir in the sauce and the chives. Taste and adjust the salt. Generously, shake on pepper to taste. Serve warm.