Chicken and pasta in asiago cream sauce

Yesterday my husband called me from work. He said, "You know that chicken pasta? It's outstanding as a leftover. Make that again." Wow, I guess I have another winner.

In the days since we had our Valentine's day dinner at a local restaurant, I've been obsessing over the dish I had that night--spaghetti with chicken and mushrooms in an asiago cream sauce. I decided to try to replicate it last week with a few additions, like onion, bacon, and wine. Yum.

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce box of pasta (I used orecchiette because I had a couple boxes in the pantry, but spaghetti or a bowtie pasta would also be good)
2 or 3 large chicken breasts
2 cups heavy cream
1 cube chicken bouillon, crumbled
1 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese plus a bit extra
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped prosciutto or bacon
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used cremini mushrooms)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
3/4 cup white wine

Directions:

1. Gather all your stuff.

2. Cook the chicken. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts--just cube them and throw them in a skillet with some olive oil and cook 'em until no longer pink and juices run clear. Or, if you're obsessed with the really cool temperature probe that comes with your oven (like I am), you can cook some whole breasts in the oven at 350 degrees, then cool and chop up. (I also cooked some extra for a different purpose.)


3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Don't forget to add some salt. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

4. Slice the mushrooms and chop the onion.


5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent.


6. In the meantime, pour the cream into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add the crumbled bouillon and cheese and whisk until well blended. Whisk the cornstarch into the cream sauce and cook for a few more minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.




7. Back at the skillet, add the mushrooms and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until they start to look really happy.


8. Pour the wine into a measuring cup. Pour yourself a glass, too. In the process, try to support one of your local wineries, if you can.


9. Add the wine and parsley to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about half.


10. If you're lucky, your significant other gets home from work right about now and you can put him/her to work cutting the chicken into about 1" cubes.


11. Add the chicken to the skillet and mix well.


12. Add the asiago cream sauce and mix well.


13. Add the bacon. Watch your husband (or significant other), because he'll probably try to thieve a few pieces.


14. Add the pasta and mix well. Leave the skillet over medium or low heat for a few minutes, stirring often, to make sure everything is warmed through.


14. Serve in a bowl and top with more grated asiago cheese.