Creamy Garlic Shells

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

1. Dice the garlic and the chives if you are using fresh. Keep separate and set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
3. While the pasta is boiling, melt the butter over medium in the sauce pot. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
4. 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.
5. 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.