Creamy Chicken & Bowtie Pasta

Now that the weather’s warming up and the days are getting longer, I want to spend as much time as possible outdoors and out of the kitchen! But I still want to deliver a wholesome meal to the dinner table, and this Creamy Chicken and Bowtie Pasta is a great choice. It’s quick and easy and full of flavor. My kids gobble it up, and any leftovers warm up well for lunch the next day.

So let me show you how easy it is to make. No one will be the wiser that you didn’t spend all day over the stove.

First, place a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta per package directions. My kids love the fun bowtie shape, and I like how well the cream sauce clings to it. During the last five minutes of boiling, throw in frozen vegetables. Broccoli works great, but we have it often, so I use peas and carrots for a little variety.

While that’s boiling, go ahead and mince a couple cloves of garlic. I like to freshly mince garlic for every meal, but feel free to use the jarred variety to simplify your life even more!

Next, season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet and brown the chicken on both sides until fully cooked. I prefer chicken thighs because they’re better able to withstand frying without drying out, but feel free to substitute with chicken breasts.

Remove chicken from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces once it’s cool enough to handle. Then melt more butter in the same skillet and sauté garlic for about a minute. Stir it all around so it doesn’t burn.

Now add chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan to combine. Pour in half-and-half and heavy cream, then season with salt and pepper. (I use a 1/4 tsp of both.) I also throw the cut-up chicken in at this stage because I’m overly cautious about chicken being fully cooked, and this gives it some more time while the sauce is simmering and reducing.

When the sauce is ready, top the chicken with shredded Parmesan cheese followed by the drained pasta and vegetables. The cheese melts faster this way and is easier to incorporate.

Hello, yummy goodness!

This Creamy Chicken and Bowtie Pasta is a regular dish on my meal planning rotation. Feel free to garnish with more shredded Parmesan to serve. We love it with a side of garlic toast, too. Enjoy! — v.

Don’t want to miss a recipe?

Subscribe to receive the latest updates directly to your inbox.
Stay in touch on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, too.
Thank you so much for reading!

Creamy Chicken & Bowtie Pasta

May 16, 2018

Servings: 6

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 30 min

Difficulty: easy

Print This

By: v.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces bowtie (farfalle) pasta
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Step 1 Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add frozen vegetables. Drain and set aside.
• Step 2 Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides and done in the middle. Remove from skillet, cut into bite-size pieces, and set aside.
• Step 3 Add remaining 2 Tbsp of butter to the skillet with minced garlic. Stir the garlic to avoid burning and cook for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan until combined. Stir in half-and-half and heavy cream, then season with additional salt and pepper. Return cut chicken to skillet and allow the cream sauce to simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes.
• Step 4 Remove skillet from heat and add shredded Parmesan. Toss drained pasta and veggies on top of the cheese and mix to combine. Top with extra Parmesan and serve immediately!
  
  This recipe is adapted from Pioneer Woman, Bowtie Chicken Alfredo.