Think of this warming dish as a relay race, each ingredient handing its flavor to the next.
One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles
Think of this warming dish as a relay race, each ingredient handing its flavor to the next. During the (almost!) hands-off cooking, a head of garlic and a whole chicken stuffed with a Parmesan rind roast, then give themselves to salted water, which in turn flavors the egg noodles that soften around the bird. Salt and water are your best tools here: Season the chicken, season the water and season both again. Don’t hesitate to add more water as the noodles are cooking to make sure they’re submerged. Every brand will absorb a slightly different amount of liquid, and you want a result that’s splashy enough to take on all the Parmesan you will grate at the table. Use your largest pot so everything fits. A 7- to 9-quart Dutch oven has ideal proportions with its wide base and chicken-height sides. You can substitute any short, quick-cooking pasta for egg noodles, and introduce sautéed mushrooms, spinach or herbs at the end, if that’s your mood.
INGREDIENTS
- 1whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1Parmesan rind, plus grated Parmesan for serving
- 1head garlic, cloves segmented, kept in their sheaths
- 1pound wide egg noodles
- 1sprig rosemary
- 3tablespoons sour cream or crème fraîche