My husband’s clients seem to love to give him hams. On average, we receive at least 5 hams a year. Sometimes they are so big I can hardly fit them in my refrigerator. Well this Easter we received two more. So Sunday I cooked another ham and am once again confronted with the leftovers. Although I usually use pancetta for  this dish, today, ham it is. However, if you are not confronted with copious amounts of ham, I suggest the pancetta.  

Oregano Chicken Carbonara
1 lb pasta of choice (Capellini pasta was used for this dish)
1 Tbs olive oil
3 boneless chicken thighs or two chicken breasts (depending on your preference)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion diced
4 cloves of garlic minced (if you are not a garlic lover, use 2 cloves)
1 ½ cups diced or cubed ham
1 Tbs fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
3 Tbs chives fresh (or 1 Tbs dried )
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper

White Sauce
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
12 oz heavy cream
12 oz 2% milk
1/2 Gruyere cheese
1 cup Asiago cheese
salt and pepper

Cook desired pasta to desired taste.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and saute in olive oil on medium for three minutes on each side. Remove from pan and cover with lid or foil. Add tomatoes to pan and turn heat up to medium high. Cook for 6 minutes until tomatoes begin to lose their liquid. Add onions and garlic. Saute an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Dice up cooked chicken and return to the saute pan with juice and diced ham. Cook for 3 more minutes and add white wine, oregano and chives. Remove saute pan from heat and rest. In a separate pan melt 3 tbs of butter and add flour. Cook one minute, then add heavy cream and milk. Cook for 3 minutes on medium low. Slowly add cheese and stir until cheese melts. Pour meat, tomato mixture into cheese sauce and serve over pasta.

Enjoy!

Heidi