This week, we're stopping on land that was once known as the Great Marsh. Ellington, CT is a growing community with rural charm and suburban convenience, located 15 minutes from Hartford. The Town is a blend of agriculture and industry, businesses and homes, nestled in the Connecticut River Valley and set against the backdrop of the Shenipsit State Forest. We join Maria as she makes her Linguine with Chicken and Vegetables in a Cream Sauce.
Linguine with Chicken and Vegetables in a Cream Sauce
Pasta is one of those foods that can be a simple down-home comfort dish for one meal and an elegant, complex serving for the next. A touch
of comfort combined with a touch of elegance makes this recipe a deliciously satisfying meal. Chicken breasts are served with linguine in
a creamy sauce dotted with broccoli, zucchini, and mushrooms. This recipe is a favorite for cook and family alike!
Shave some time off this dish by dicing your chicken into bite size pieces and blanching the broccoli the night before; refrigerate
until ready to use in recipe.
Seasoning with Spices- if a recipe calls for several seasonings or spices to coat meats combine them in an extra spice bottle and
sprinkle according to directions for even flavoring and coating.
Cajun Chicken Pasta
A Southern inspired recipe that is sure to add a little fun to your dinner table.
Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguini
So easy to make, done in minutes, and absolutely delicious.
Our Best Pasta Recipes
Everyone loves pasta, from simple egg noodles to lasagna and stuffed manicotti.
Maria, having worked in the corporate world for over 15 years, has since "retired" to become a stay at home mom. However, with 3 young boys
as well as the cutest pup in the world, Tucker, this is a full-time domestic engineer job!
"I love to cook Mexican and Italian cuisine. My mom wasn't much of a cook. My brother and I used to tease her about her spaghetti. We'd tell her that the way to eat her spagetthi was to first eat the noodles, then drink the sauce. Although her cooking has improved over the years, perhaps that's the reason I developed a passion for cooking at such a young age!"
"Those who forget the pasta are condemned to reheat it." ~ Author Unknown
My notes today start off on a bit of an eerie bent, and not really food related at that. As I visit our Allrecipes' cooks, I'm also on a bit of a quest to find the "unique" in each of the locations our wheels stop. Well, there's no "World's Largest Ball of Twine" or "World's Largest Frying Pan" here, but Ellington, CT is home to one of America's oldest roadside memorials. A stone in the southwest corner of the town marks the site where Samuel Knight was killed "by a cartwheel rolling over his head in the 10th year of his age, Nov 8, 1812".
The marker is an unimposing gray stone set in the center of a circle of fieldstones. It commemorates the date and site of the death of Samuel Knight, a ten-year-old boy who tumbled from the oxcart in which he was riding, and was killed when the wheel rolled over his head. It read:
Kild in this place
Samuel Field Knight
by a cartwheal roling
over his head in the
10th year of his age.
Nov 8th 1812
But O the shaft of death
was flung And cut the
tender flower down.
On a lighter note, it was a relaxing drive through Connecticut's rural landscape and small towns on our way to Ellington and the kitchen of Allrecipes' cook, Maria. The historical visual symbols of New England towns were all present including white churches, colonial meeting houses, as well as practically every other home adorned with red, white, and blue bunting and American flags flying proudly from every front porch. As we got close, we even drove past the "Belt" cows that Maria had told me about over the phone.
Arriving at Maria's, we were greeted by Tucker, a small bundle of barking energy. Maria welcomed us in and we relaxed to the back deck up against a dense wood with potted herbs growning from garden boxes. Maria had worked in the corporate world for over 15 years, but has "retired" to a much quieter, relaxed pace. Mom to three handsome boys under 7 years of age, she now focuses her attention on cooking healthy, tasteful meals for her family.
We got started in the kitchen, soon filling the ample space with the smells of good cooking! Maria regaled us with funny stories of food substitutions and the many uses of a pasta spoon! We sat down to eat this delicious pasta dish while I snuck a few choice pieces to Tucker, cementing our friendship! Thank you, Maria and family!
CT Food
Eating, Cooking and Figuring Out Food for Real People in Connecticut.
Ellington Farmers Market
Ellington Farmers Market offers fresh, locally grown produce. All items are Connecticut-grown, handmade, or
handcrafted in Connecticut.
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