Goodbye, Oprah: Comfort Food You Wouldn't Approve Of

I won't lie: I'm not an Oprah fan. I don't mean that as in I don't like her, I mean very simply that I am not part of her fan club, and I don't regularly watch her show. Nevertheless, I understand the momentousness of the fact that Oprah will not be a television staple anymore: whether you want to or not, you have to admit that she is a media icon that has not only shaped popular culture but has made some lucky artists, writers and everyday people incredibly famous.
So even though I am not part of the Oprah fan club, this blog post is dedicated to all my friends and acquaintances whose lives became a less awesome because Oprah is retiring. Instead of telling you to buck up, I'm going to do something very un-Oprah-esque: recommend super carb-heavy, creamy comfort food.
Last week I said that the pork tenderloin is my favorite recipe in Savoring Chelan, but it is very closely followed by Fire Pasta.
The Fire Pasta recipe came to me from Campbell's Resort in Chelan, but its fame did not start there. The Fire Pasta sauce was originally found on Breasts of Fire, a chicken breast dish served a Gucci's, a well-loved but now defunct restaurant and bar in Chelan. In all of its incarnations, it is a local Chelan favorite, and was once made for me on a second date as a way to sway my affections. (It worked).
Fire Pasta is not for the weak of tongue: the main sauce ingredients are Frank's hot sauce and >>swoon<< whipping cream. (Perhaps you will best appreciate this meal if you are also a little angry that Oprah is abandoning you...I'm not a therapist, but perhaps the fiery heat could help you release your inner cranky abandoned child). It is very good if you saute some of your favorite vegetables, but the beauty of the Fire Pasta is that it is incredibly good with no other accompaniment than some bread to soak it up with and possibly a glass or two of your favorite wine. So goodbye, Oprah. Best of luck in all your future endeavors, and I hope you don't hold this comfort against me.

Photo by Richard Uhlhorn

Fire Pasta
Recipe contributed to Savoring Chelan by Troy Nesvacil, chef at Campbell’s Resort.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

One 12 oz. package pasta, preferably fettuccini or linguini
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken (1 pound), cut into 2-inch strips
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1-1/4 cups Frank’s hot sauce
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

Hotel butter: whip the following ingredients until doubled in volume
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove fresh minced garlic
Pinch salt and pepper

Garnish
Parmesan
Parsley

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, sauté olive oil, chicken, salt and pepper in a pan until the chicken is browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan; set aside. To deglaze, add the Worcestershire and hot sauce to the pan with the leftover oil; mix all ingredients until hot and blended. Add in the whipping cream and red chili flakes and add the chicken to finish cooking. Simmer the mixture until it is reduced into a thick sauce; adding 2 tablespoons of Parmesan will quicken the process. Drain the cooked pasta and toss with hotel butter first, then add in the sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley.