My Favorite Recipe: Garlic Chicken Farfalle

My FAVORITE recipe: Garlic Chicken Farfalle 

So I got this recipe from my step-mom, and I’m sure she remembers the original source. I don’t know where this dish came from, but oh my word, it is so amazing. I’ve made a few tweaks to it here and there to make it even tastier, and this is one of our best-loved dishes here. This pasta dish combines a unique blend of unexpected flavors to create a cheesy, zingy, creamy, and bacon-y casserole. I always eat too much when I make this, and I rarely regret it. Without further adieu, the recipe:

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

12 oz bottle of Lawry’s Mesquite Marinade {Mesquite with lime is great too}

16 oz. box farfalle pasta {sometimes I get the mini kind just because it’s so darn cute}

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2-3 cloves minced garlic {I love garlic so I always  use 4 cloves}

1/2 cup butter

1 Tbs pepper

1 tsp Parsley

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled {Tip: cook bacon in oven for ease!}

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Optional:

1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. In the crock pot, cook the chicken and the Lawry’s marinade on low for 6 hours. If the chicken isn’t totally covered by the marinade, add a little bit of water until it’s covered so it doesn’t dry out.
2. Shred cooked chicken and set aside.
3. Preheat oven 350 degrees
4. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
5. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parsley, and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
6. Whisk together on low heat until butter, cream, and cheeses are well integrated {takes about 5-7 minutes of continuous stirring}
7. In a 13×9” baking dish, toss pasta, chicken, bacon bits, and sauce together. Sprinkle top with remaining parmesan cheese
8. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese on top is melted. {if you opted to add frozen peas to it -and you should definitely try it that way sometime- you can increase the cooking time to 30 minutes to ensure they’re cooked}

I know the mesquite marinaded chicken sounds weird with an Alfredo sauce, but this recipe is SO good. The chicken is tangy, the sauce is light and rich, the bacon adds perfect bursts of saltiness, and everything clings deliciously to the al dente pasta has the perfect combination of flavors. Okay, I seriously have to quit talking about this casserole because my mouth is watering.. I hope you enjoy!

Kat