Garlic Chicken Pasta

Mmmmm...pasta.. I really love it. I try to only make it once a week. Normally that does satiate my cravings, but some times I want it more! This week I broke down and made pasta dishes twice. I threw together an Asian noodle dish with some leftover spaghetti noodles and veggies that needed to be eaten a couple days ago and tonight I made this Garlic Chicken Pasta that I came across on Kevin & Amanda's blog. They adapted it from another blog and I am now adapting it from them. It delicious as is, but I think it is even better with my additions.

If you are on some sort of diet that says no pasta, cream, or bacon, I would stop reading now. If you love everything delicious, continue. This pasta has a sauce very similar to alfredo, but it has a kick. It doesn't take long at all and it is a great weeknight dinner.

Before I go any further, I should mention that TBDH is no longer To Be Determined Husband! He recently accepted a job as Technology Support Specialist in a small school district and is enjoying his job so far. So exciting! But now he needs a new name! My brain is a little dead and I am not feeling very creative so I will have to come up with something before my next post. Now back to deliciousness.

Time: 20ish minutes
Yield: about 4 servings
Ingredients
10-16oz pasta (depending on what kind of pasta:sauce ratio you like)
1 1/2 of cooked, shredded chicken (or however much you want, really)
6-8 slices cooked bacon crumbled
 2 Tbsp butter
3 gloves of minced garlic
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Couple tsp of black pepper (depending on taste)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup white wine
Dashes of cayenne pepper, oregano, and basil (or other desired herbs)

Prepare the pasta and drain. For two of us I used about 3 handfuls of pasta. The original recipe calls for Farfalle, but I used Penne this time. It's really up to you. Dump the pasta back into the pot and toss the chicken with it. Let it hang out while you prepare the sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Toss in the garlic and stir.

Add in the whipping cream, pepper, wine, and spices/herbs.

Stir to combine and whisk in Parmesan cheese. Whisk the sauce until smooth. It will probably take 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust for preferences.

Stir bacon into sauce.

I could eat this whole little bowl...

Dump sauce on top of pasta/chicken mixture. For best results let the pasta sit for a few minutes to thicken and combine. Now try to not eat every last bit by yourself!

Original sources 
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/becky-higgins-garlic-chicken-farfalle.html
http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/?p=21

Easiest Pasta Ever

Pasta...so delicious.. Pasta is really one of my favorite types of food. If I had my way, it would probably have it's own section on the food pyramid. I love all kinds of pasta...light, creamy, saucy, with meat, with veggies, long, short, shell-, wheel-, spiral-shaped, wheat, made from potato, filled..you name it, I probably like it. Anyway this is one of the easiest pastas ever. It takes very little time to make and keep be adapted in any way. Lots of Italian restaurants serve it under the name Aglio e olio and it is worth trying. We never had a recipe for this because it is so simple to make, but I came across this one from YumSugar and I liked the ratios it suggested. So if you are looking for a light, quick pasta dish, you should try this one.

Time: However long it takes you to boil pasta + 2 minutes max
Yield: 2-4, depending on how gluttonous you feel

Ingredients
7 ounces of your favorite pasta, typically spaghetti or other long noodle is used
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (or more if you are like me)
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (vary this depending on the heat you like)
1/4 - 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Boil your pasta according to directions. I'm going to assume you can read the directions on the box because you are reading this...please don't prove me wrong.

When it's done, drain your pasta and dump it into a big bowl...or the same pot you boiled it in if you are lazy like me.
Dump the garlic, crushed red pepper, olive oil, salt, and pepper on top of the pasta. I know you can handle this...

Now toss it all!

Taste it and adjust seasonings if you would like. That's it! I told you it was easy. Now you can dress it up however you would like. I typically toss cooked chicken in with it to up the nutrition. Cook and season it however you want. Or add shrimp or sausage, or whatever floats your boat. I also love roasted red pepper on this. This pasta just provides a great base for whatever you are wanting. Make it!

Topped with baked chicken, roasted red pepper, and parmesan cheese and served with sauteed zucchini...yum!

Original post at http://www.yumsugar.com/Spaghetti-Garlic-Olive-Oil-Chili-Flakes-21398824