Recipe of the Week – Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Asparagus Pasta

I had you at bacon, didn't I? This recipe looks delish! I will definitely be making this for my kids because they just love chicken, bacon, pasta and asparagus.

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sauce
• 12 oz penne pasta (or gluten free pasta if you eat GF)
• 1 lb asparagus (steamed)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (you could use corn starch if you want to make it gluten free)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cream or half and half
• 3 oz cream cheese, diced into pieces
• 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 - 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• In a bowl, stir together basil, oregano, thyme and 1/4 salt and pepper. Sprinkle on both sides of chicken. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken to skillet. Cook chicken until fully cooked through, about 8 -12 minutes, occasionally rotating chicken. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate, let rest 5 minutes then dice into pieces.
• Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions listed on package, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
• In a clean pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer, stirring constantly. While whisking, slowly pour in milk then cream (whisk vigorously to break up clumps). Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil and thickens, reduce heat to medium-low, add cream cheese and parmesan cheese and cook, stirring frequently, until cheeses have melted.
• Toss in cooked pasta, then add cooked chicken, steamed asparagus and bacon and toss to evenly coat. Add in reserved pasta water as desired. Serve immediately.

Source: cookingclassy.com