Recipe: High Protein, Low Effort Chicken Bolognese Pasta

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INGREDIENTS

Chicken Bolognese

  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 8 ounces chicken livers, soaked in milk overnight
  • 8 ounces chicken hearts, soaked in milk overnight
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 3 additional tablespoons
  • ½ Spanish onion, finely diced
  • ½ carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
  • 1 leek, white part only, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Pasta Dough

  • 4 cups 00 flour, sifted
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon kosher salt
  • Additional 00 flour, as needed


To Finish

  • 1 recipe White Chicken Bolognese
  • 1 recipe Pasta Dough
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 4 egg yolks Salt and pepper, to taste

COOKING METHOD

White Chicken Bolognese

  1.  Place a small pot over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the extra virgin olive oil, followed by the finely diced Spanish onion, carrot, celery, leek, and sliced garlic. Season lightly with kosher salt and cook gently until the vegetables are soft and translucent.
  2. In a large rondeau, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.
  3. Remove the chicken hearts and livers from the milk they have been soaked in overnight, discarding the milk. Pat the hearts and livers dry with paper towels.
  4. Trim the chicken livers and chicken hearts of any excess sinew or connective tissue and finely chop them by hand.
  5. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with the chopped chicken livers and hearts. Mix until evenly combined.
  6. Add the chicken mixture to the rondeau and cook, breaking it up with a spoon. Continue cooking until the mixture is fully cooked and any released liquid has reduced.
  7. Add the cooked onion, carrot, celery, leek, and garlic mixture into the chicken. Stir well to combine.
  8. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any fond. Reduce until the wine has almost fully evaporated.
  9. Add the chicken stock and a tied bundle of thyme, sage, rosemary, and bay leaf.
  10. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and cook slowly until the bolognese is tender and deeply flavoured, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add more chicken stock as needed if the sauce begins to dry out too much.
  11. Once the bolognese has cooked down, remove the herb bundle and the bay leaf. Add the heavy cream and continue cooking until the sauce is rich, creamy, and lightly reduced.
  12. Adjust the seasoning with kosher salt as needed. The finished bolognese should be saucy, not soupy.
  13. Set aside warm if using immediately, or cool completely and reserve until needed.

Pasta Dough

  1. Sift the 00 flour into a stand mixer bowl. Add egg yolks, whole eggs, olive oil, and salt. Mix with the dough hook until it forms a shaggy mass.
  2. Turn onto the counter and knead 10 minutes. Form into a smooth ball, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Let the dough sit at room temperature 30 minutes before rolling. Cut into manageable pieces, keeping unused dough covered with a damp cloth.
  4. Flatten a piece and pass through the pasta machine on the widest setting, folding and repeating until smooth.
  5. Roll through progressively thinner settings, dusting with flour as needed, until you have a thin sheet.
  6. Cut into wide ribbons, dust with flour, and place on a tray. Repeat with remaining dough.

To Finish

  1. Boil salted water. Warm bolognese in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Cook pasta 1–2 min, then transfer into the pan with bolognese.
  3. Add a splash of pasta water, toss to coat. Stir in butter until emulsified.
  4. Off heat, add 3 egg yolks and ¾ cup grated Parmigiano, tossing fast to emulsify without scrambling. Add pasta water until glossy and creamy. Season to taste.
  5. Plate with bolognese, pasta, more bolognese, extra Parmigiano, remaining yolk, and cracked pepper. Serve immediately.