Ingredients:
- FOR THE CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE: (Makes about 1 quart)
- ¾ cup Red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ cups Ketchup
- 1 Bottle (12 oz.) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (substitute another dry ale if necessary)
- ⅓ cup Molasses
- 1½ cups Honey
- 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Puréed canned Chipotle peppers in adobo (available in Mexican markets or catalogs)
- 1 tsp. Granulated onion
- 1 tsp. Granulated garlic
- 1 tsp. Ground cumin
- 1 tsp. Chili powder
- FOR THE CHIPOTLE BBQ CREAM:
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Half & half
- ½ cup Chipotle BBQ Sauce (more if a stronger flavor is preferred)
- 2 Tbsp. Virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic
- 1 cup Peeled, seeded & coarsely chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup Dry white wine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Very thinly sliced basil leaves
- TO ASSEMBLE:
- 1 lb. Penne pasta
- 4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 lb. Mild or hot Italian sausages, each pricked several times with a sharp skewer or toothpick
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Make the Chipotle BBQ Cream. Melt the butter in a small sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the flour and mix well to form a paste; cook, stirring often to avoid burning, 3-5 minutes or until the flour begins to release cooking fragrance. Mixing with a wire whisk, gradually incorporate the half & half. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring occasionally, for another 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Mix in the Chipotle BBQ Sauce and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a non-reactive saucepan set over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn it. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, another 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, and cook, stirring, another 1-2 minutes. Blend in the reserved Chipotle BBQ Cream, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, mix in half the sliced basil, and keep warm.
Light charcoal briquettes in an outdoor grill or pre-heat a gas grill to prepare for grilling. Set a heavy, 9-quart pot with 6 quarts of salted water over high heat. Preheat oven to "warm" setting.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Once the grill is ready, place the sausages on the grill and brown both sides, taking care to avoid flame-up. Place the browned sausages along the perimeter of the grill and brown the seasoned chicken breasts on both sides in the center area. Cover the grill and reduce flame to "low" (if a gas grill) and continue grilling another 3-5 minutes until both the sausages and chicken are fully cooked.
While the chicken and sausages are cooking, and once the water comes to a boil, add the penne pasta and cook until al dente. Strain the pasta, toss in a large bowl with the reserved Chipotle BBQ Cream mixture, and hold in a warm oven.
Transfer the grilled chicken and sausage to a cutting board and cut both into bite-size slices. The sliced chicken and sausage can be either tossed in with the pasta and served, or arranged on top of it on a platter or individual plates; garnish with the remaining thinly sliced basil leaves. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. (Serves 4-6)
