Begin by brining the chicken for 2 hours, to keep the chicken juicy and flavorful.  In a Ziploc bag, place whole chicken breasts, 1 cup cold water, 1 T. kosher salt and 1 T. sugar.  Zip and shake bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Once chicken has brined, boil 4 quarts of water and 1 T. kosher salt in a Dutch oven or large stock pot.  Once water is boiling, add the Mafalda pasta and cook according to al dente instructions.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Set aside.

Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towel.  Dry, completely, the Dutch oven and on a med-high heat, add 2 T. olive oil.  Once oil shimmers, add the chicken breasts and sauté on each side 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Remove the chicken breasts and set aside on a clean cutting board.  Allow the chicken to rest.

Drain excess oil from the Dutch oven and wipe clean with paper towel.  Return the Dutch oven to the med-high heat and add 1 T. olive oil.  Once the oil shimmers, add the carrots and celery and sauté until slightly tender.

Reduce the heat to med-low.  Add butter to carrots/celery and melt.  Sprinkle flour into the mixture and stir vigorously to make a Roux.  A paste will form, and the flour will begin to have a nutty smell.  Do not allow the Roux to burn.  Once this happens, whisk 4 c. of chicken broth into the pot.  Whisk vigorously to incorporate the Roux into the broth and prevent clumping.

Once the Roux has dissolved into the broth and the soup has thickened, slightly, add 4 more cups of broth, the onion powder, garlic powder and parsley and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, and after the chicken has rested, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Add the chicken into the soup and simmer for 20 more minutes. Add the pasta at the very end and serve.