Cellar & Stove: herbed chicken alfredo and SIMI Chardonnay [California]

In another "Cellar & Stove" segment, I'm going to make a seasonal pasta dish and pair it with a tasty wine. I actually built this dish around the wine - I saw it on the shelf and wanted to give it a try. I chose a 2014 bottle of SIMI Winery's Sonoma County chardonnay. Based in Healdsburg, CA, SIMI is one of the oldest California wineries. It survived Prohibition, and today the winery produces over 6 million bottles of wine per year.

Here's the dish - an herbed fettucine alfredo with chicken. Looks good, right? Here's what you need:

• Chicken - however much you want
• Fettucine - again, however much you want
• 1.5 cups of heavy cream - or more, depending on how creamy you like it
• 5 tablespoons butter - your choice of brand (I use Kerrygold, like a boss)
• 1 full stem spring/green garlic (stalk and bulb)
• Chives, to taste
• 2 cups shaved asiago or parmesan cheese
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Unlike some other meals I have made, the timing here is very flexible. The sauce ends up taking a long time to reduce and thicken; so you can start it as early as you like. Likewise, you can cook the chicken beforehand needed. To start, add your cream, butter, and some black pepper to taste into a saucepan and turn to medium heat. Stir frequently, and once the mixture starts to bubble, turn it to low and let it reduce for about 10 minutes. You'll want to keep an eye on it.

You can start your pasta water now. I always add liquid bouillon, about a teaspoon, to all pasta dishes. It seasons the pasta nicely, and replaces salt in the water. Plus, if you really wanted, you could retain the water after cooking and it would make a nice stock for soup.

So as your water is slowly heating up, and your sauce is bubbling and thickening, start pan-frying your garlic and chives. I also cut the stem of the spring garlic I got at the farmer's market, and added that to the sizzling coconut oil. Turn frequently on low heat to avoid burning (especially the garlic!) The idea is to get them wilted and brown for garnish on the pasta. Also, notice that I've reserved a cup of the uncooked chives. That's for addition in the sauce towards the end.

The last step here is to add your chicken to the same pan. I've removed all of the garnish and put them aside, added some more coconut oil, and begun to fry the chicken. I guess you could add whichever meat you desire; this dish might even work well with tofu.

Regarding the wine - now's a good time to open it up. I had mine in the fridge. I chose the chardonnay because I'm looking for balance - Alfredo and cream / cheese sauces are very rich and flavorful by nature; so I'd want a wine that's clean, crisp, and fruity to serve as a balance to the heaviness of the pasta. Chardonnay is a common pairing with cream sauces, and sometimes, there's just no need to try a risky pairing. Stick with what works.

As it warms up, it projects a very appealing aroma - there's some light fruit in there, some white grape notes. It's a yellowish-white in the glass.

There's a nice dryness to it, perhaps more crisp than dry, with just a touch of oak flavors (which is kinda good; I've had some overoaked wines before and I didn't enjoy them.) I liked the acidity of the wine, too - not too much, but definitely enough to cut through the cheesy sauce and oil. Regarding fruit flavors - there's a layer of peach and lemon in there, just faint though, and without any sugariness or sourness.

To wrap up your meal, just add the warm alfredo sauce to your pasta - just pour over the chicken and pasta. Super easy! You can add your garnish on top, or in the middle, in whatever way you like. In the end, the wine is crisp and clean with some light flavors - a perfect complement to the meal! And it's affordable, too - this was on sale for $12.99 (down from $21.99) at Giant, of all places. Even grocery stores can have a reasonable wine selection!