This makes a really good weeknight dinner.  Just a few ingredients, three options for a starch and a green on the side makes for a fast meal (about 20 minutes start to finish).

To make my Italian Chicken, you will need:

1/2 lb. spaghetti
3 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
1 small mild onion, diced
3 teaspoons flour
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup of diced roasted red pepper
8 stalks of frozen asparagus spears, cut into 1” pieces
2 cups cooked chicken.  I use a rotisserie chicken, with skin and bones removed.  Tear meat into small bite-sized pieces.  Reserve 1 Tablespoon of the fat in the bottom of the carton.  The original flavor or a mild flavor chicken is preferred.
1 tsp Italian Herbs
1 tsp dried parley
1 tsp butter
Salt and pepper, if desired

Start cooking the spaghetti, preparing according to package directions.

In a saucepan on top of the stove top, heat the oil on medium heat.  Once hot, add the onion.  Let the onion soften and turn translucent, stirring from time to time.  This will take four to five minutes.

Add the garlic and stir.  Add the flour and stir.  The flour should mix in with the onion, garlic and remaining oil, while it develops a nutty flavor from the heat.  Continue stirring for a minute.  The mixture will be dry.

Add the broth, roasted red pepper, asparagus, Italian herbs, parsley, and chicken fat.  Stir to get everything mixed.  After about two minutes, add the chicken and cover.  Let the sauce thicken and the chicken heat for five minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon butter to the pan to enrich the final flavor.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  I usually don’t add either, so that the chicken and butter flavors prevail.

Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the chicken and sauce.  Mix well.  Serve while hot.  It is tasty!

Bonus Information:  For a change of pace, serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

If you happen to have some leftover cooked green veggies (like green beans or broccoli), chop them into bite sized pieces and substitute them for the asparagus.

Instead of chicken, use frozen, cooked shrimp with tails removed.