Ingredients (Serves 4)
A. For the Cowboy Butter Sauce/Marinade: 100g (7 tbsp) butter (room temperature) 2 cloves garlic (minced) 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped) 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon paprika (sweet or hot) 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, for depth of flavor) Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt and pepper
B. For the Chicken and Pasta: 500g (1.1 lbs) chicken breast (cubed) 1 package (400g / 14 oz) Linguine Pasta (or Spaghetti) 2 tablespoons olive oil (for searing chicken) 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth (for deglazing) 1/2 cup heavy cream (or cooking cream) For Serving: Grated Parmesan and fresh parsley For boiling water: Salt
Instructions
Prepare Cowboy Butter: In a bowl, combine the room-temperature butter (from part A) with all the seasonings, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Reserve half of the mixture for the sauce finishing, and use the other half to marinate the chicken.
Cook the Chicken: Toss the cubed chicken with half of the prepared Cowboy Butter and let it marinate for 15 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the marinated chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Cook the Pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the Linguine pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Build the Sauce: Return the skillet to the heat. Add the white wine or chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom (deglazing). Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream and the remaining half of the Cowboy Butter. Stir until the butter is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Combine and Serve: Add the drained Linguine pasta and the cooked chicken back into the sauce. Toss well until the sauce is evenly distributed. Add reserved pasta water sparingly if needed to reach desired consistency.
Garnish: Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.
