Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms & White Wine

This is a recipe very near and dear to my heart.  I had been living in Florence for over 6 months, immersing myself in my culinary education, as well as my cultural education.  I had to live on the budget of a student, which means something different for me than it might for others.  Even with very little or no money, I wanted to eat well.  I thought about it all the time and I wanted to get my hands on something delicious as often as possible.  Just because I was broke did not seem like a good enough reason to sustain myself with cereal and ramen noodles.  No, I still wanted the best I could manage.  Going to restaurants was an infrequent luxury, so I had to come up with dishes in my teeny apartment kitchen that I would pour my heart into.  I came up with this one after the Christmas of 1997, when my roommate and I had had a little party.  There were ingredients around that I sensed could be turned into something special.  It did.  The flavors from this came together in a way that even surprised me.  Give it a whirl.

Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms & White Wine
Serves 4-6

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 lb. white button mushrooms or 1/2 lb. white & 1/2 lb. mixed wild mushrooms
2 cups cooked chicken meat, pulled off the bone
2 cloves garlic, core removed and sliced
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. penne pasta

In a large, heavy pot, make a roux by heating the oil over medium heat, add the flour and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high and let reduce to about 1/2 cup, about 10-15 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the wine and let reduce by half, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the cream, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to thicken slightly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and reduce heat to low.

While the stock is reducing, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook until mushrooms are golden about 8-10 minutes.  Add the lemon juice.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and rosemary.  Let the alcohol evaporate and the liquids reduce.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, while the mushrooms are cooking, cook the pasta in abundant, salted, boiling water.  Drain, but do not rinse.

Just before serving, add the cooked chicken to the mushroom mixture.  Stir just until chicken is heated through.  DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN!  Add the mushrooms and chicken to the reduced stock mixture and add the cooked pasta.  Stir together, adjust the seasonings and serve in a large heated bowl.