Pasta Milano

So, y'all know I have a slight addiction to Pinerest.  I actually need Pinerest rehab.  One day when I was looking at yummy stuff to cook on Pinerest, I came across the blog of Joelen.  Her blog is called What's Cookin, Chicago.  The picture on Pinterest that caught my eye was a shot of her freezer and freezer-friendly recipes.  One of those recipes was for Pasta Milano.  Okay, here's the deal, yes I love Mexican food and I am crazy about a good ole American cheeseburger, but my other love is Italian.  I love Macaroni Grill.  In fact, the day my oldest son, J, was born, my family said they would go get me anything I wanted to eat, so I chose Pasta Milano from Macaroni Grill.  MMMM!  It just doesn't get any better.  So, you ready for the recipe? 



Pasta Milano

3 slices bacon, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat version - um, yeah right!)
salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
water for boiling pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring.Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss. Place in a baking dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.

* To make ahead/freezer meals - Prepare as directed, however cook pasta to barely al dente. There should be a bite to the pasta where it's not completely cooked. Place pasta, chicken and sauce in an ovenproof container and allow to cool. Cover and freezer. When ready to prepare, defrost and bake in preheated oven as directed above.

Okay, so I didn't follow all of Joelen's directions.  I actually finished the sauce and poured it over the pasta and ate it right away instead of baking it.  It smelled so good that I just couldn't wait for it to bake.  People, it was GOOD! 

Okay, so I ate about three of these servings, but in my defense I was not doing calories on Livestrong at the time.  That makes it okay, right?