Creamy Bow Ties with Chicken and Asparagus from 125 Best Chicken Recipes

It's easy to fall into a rut with some common foods, and chicken is certainly high on that list. So when I had a chance to check out a copy of 125 Best Chicken Recipes by Rose Murray, I jumped on it. I've thumbed through the book and have a good list of recipes I want to try, such as Basque Chicken Drumsticks, Chicken Chili Macaroni and Chicken and Pear Saute. But given that spring has just arrived, one with asparagus got bumped to the top of my list: Creamy Bow Ties with Chicken and Asparagus

This recipe was tasty and easy to follow. All the recipes in the book I've looked at seem clear and straightforward; this seems like it would be a good cookbook for someone fairly new to the kitchen as well as someone like myself looking for some new recipes. The instructions that follow are pretty close to the way they appear in the book, though I've ditched the metric weights given in the book to be consistent with my other recipes here. The only substantive change I made was to use less cream cheese, roughly half the amount called for still gave plenty of creaminess in my estimation. I also added a bit of red bell pepper I had on hand, to use it up and add more color. Give this recipe a try and stay tuned for more from this cookbook!

12 oz bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
8 oz asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
12 ozs skinless boneless chicken breasts, but into 1/2 inch strips
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 to 5 oz spreadable light cream cheese (original recipe calls for 8 oz)
1/3 cup milk, or more as needed
1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning.
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for 4 minutes. Add asparagus and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes, until the pasta is tender but firm and the asparagus is tender. Drain well and return to the pot, toss with a tbsp of olive. Take care not to overcook the pasta, given that it will cook a bit more when you heat it with the cream cheese.

Get the chicken started when you start boiling the water. In a large skillet, melt the butter with oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes, until it start changing color to white. Add mushrooms and garlic, cook for 7 minutes or until chicken and mushrooms are browned. Stir in seasoning. Set aside, cover and keep warm if the chicken is ready before the pasta. (I aim to have sauces done before pasta so the pasta doesn't get stuck together).

When the pasta is drained and the chicken is cooked, toss them together in the pasta pot. Add the cream cheese, and return the pot to medium heat. Stir in the milk to make a creamy sauce, adding extra milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

Wine Pairing: Bonus advice not found in the cookbook! Asparagus is the challenge here for the wine pairing, though with the cream and chicken there's enough to make it a bit more wine friendly than eating a plain side of asparagus. But still need to keep it in mind for the pairing. A white with good acidity is called for. We had the Weisshauss Pinot Bianco from Italy's Alto Adige region, and that worked pretty well. A Gruner Veltliner could be another good option here.

Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of the book from the publisher, Robert Rose Inc. The recipe is the creation of the cookbook author with a few of my tweaks. The opinions are my own.