Chicken and Farfalle Pasta in a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce - chicken breasts

Method

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Peel away the outer layers of the heads of garlic, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact.
• Cut off 1/2" of the top of the cloves.
• Place the heads of garlic in a muffin pan, drizzle olive oil over the cut tops of the garlic.
• Use your fingers to make sure the heads are well coated.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it.
• Use a small knife to loosen the skin around each clove and then squeeze from the bottom end and release the garlic from their cloves.
• Use a knife to mash or mince the garlic.
• Set aside.
• Lower the oven temperature to 375F.
• Trim fat from the chicken breasts and pat dry.
• Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, herbs de provence and garlic powder.
• Place in a baking dish and roast chicken for 30 minutes or until just cooked throuh.
• Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Cut the chicken in to bite size pieces and set aside.
• While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan.
• Add the chopped pancetta and cook until crispy.
• Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess grease.
• Set aside.
• In the same pan, add the sliced mushrooms and saute on medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Then add the chopped onions and saute over medium heat until they are carmelized, as are the mushrooms.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan by adding the wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits (extra flavor).
• Bring wine to a simmer and cook until it has reduced by half.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add salt to the water, then add the farfalle pasta.
• Cook until al dente, using the package directions.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Add the heavy cream to the pan, bring to a simmer.
• Now add the roasted garlic and whisk well to incorporate.
• Add the cubed chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
• Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and stir constantly to incorporate well.
• Use pasta water to thin the sauce if it gets too thick.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the drained pasta to the sauce, along with the frozen peas and chopped parsley.
• Stir to warm the peas and add 1/2 the pancetta and toss pasta again.
• Transfer pasta to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining pancetta and a little parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!
• I know roasting your own garlic seems like a lot of work, but once you taste it, you'll understand why it's so worth it!