Q. I absolutely love the Fusilli Natural at Il Mulino’s in Fort Lauderdale and have tried to re-create it several times at home. But I just can’t figure out how to make a balsamic reduction sauce. So my dish comes out very vinegary. Do you think you could ask them how they do it? I’d love to know. Thanks. – Martel Givens, Hollywood
A. The general manager of Il Mulino Cucina Italiana restaurant (1800 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-524-1800, ilmulinofl.com), Eddie dos Santos, shared this recipe with former You Asked For It columnist Suzanne Jones more than 10 years ago. The dish remains a crowd-pleaser and the recipe only slightly changed. Santos points out, “One item used in this recipe is our demi-glace, which is prepared in house. It takes almost 48 hours to make. Unfortunately, I cannot share the family recipe for that.” Don’t fret if you don’t have days to spend making a sauce. You can purchase demi-glace at cooking stores or gourmet food markets.
Il Mulino’s Fusilli natural
1 1/2 pounds dried fusilli pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, julienned
3 cups broccoli florets, blanched
8 sun dried tomato halves, julienned
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups demi-glace
8 ounces goat cheese crumbles
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1. Using a large sauce pan over high heat, cook pasta in salted water, according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, using a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add chicken and saute about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, tomatoes, vinegar and demi-glace. Simmer about 3 minutes.
3. Add chicken mixture to pasta and toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. To serve, divide mixture among 4 warm serving bowls or plates and sprinkle with goat cheese and parsley.
Makes 4 generous servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 1515 calories, 37% calories from fat, 62g fat, 28g saturated fat, 195mg cholesterol, 155g carbohydrates, 77g protein, 2192mg sodium, 11g fiber
