The Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic

I know I must seem like I only eat out at a few places, but we do truly love going to the Cheesecake Factory.

We’ve been big fans of copycat recipes from the Cheesecake Factory (you can see all the Cheesecake Factorycopycatshere) including my favorites,Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeiraand Cheesecake Factory Spicy Cashew Chicken.

How to lighten this Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic recipe:

• Use half the oil to cook the chicken and only use half the bacon.
• Use fat free half and half instead of heavy cream and use half the amount.
• only use Parmesan as a garnish, not mixed in.
• Cut batons of zucchini to add bulk to the pasta without more calories. If you add two full zucchinis, cut pasta by half.
• You can roast them or add them to the pan with a small amount of butter and cook them gently through.
• I don’t make the recipe with peas but you can certainly add them in, even in addition to the zucchini.

How to Roast Garlic:

1. Slice the top off the head of garlic exposing every clove.
2. In a piece of foil drizzle some olive oil then place garlic cut side down.
3. Roast for 30 minutes or until deeply browned.
4. Let cool before removing from head of garlic

The roasted garlic is actually my favorite part of this dish. I actually sometimes double what the recipe calls for because we all love the roasted garlic so much. I also sometimes will take some of the garlic and mash it into the pan to incorporate it with the sauce for more garlic flavor.

With the Parmesan Cheese I use shaved Parmesan because I love the flavor and how it melts. You can use shredded, but grated will have a terrible texture in the dish and isn’t recommended.

Tools used in the making of this The Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic:

Cast Iron Skillet: This is my most used pan in my kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever.
Sun Dried Tomatoes: I use these A LOT in cream sauces, on salads and sandwiches. They’re delicious tomato candy!

Yield: 4 servings

Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic (The Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

Prep:15 minutes

Cook:35 minutes

Total Time:50 minutes

The Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic is a perfect copycat of my favorite creamy, cheesy bacon and mushroom pasta dish and one of the most popular recipes on the menu!

Ingredients:

• 1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed (recipe above)
• 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 pound bow tie pasta (aka farfalle), cooked and drained -but not rinsed
• 12 ounces center cut bacon, cut into strips
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, reserve the oil and chop roughly
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. If you haven’t cooked the pasta, cook it now according to the directions on the box.
2. Cut the chicken into 1″ cubes and season with kosher salt and black pepper.
3. To a cast iron skillet add the olive oil on high heat.
4. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Remove from the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high heat and add in the bacon.
6. Cook until crisp and remove the bacon (leave the fat).
7. Add in the mushrooms and onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until they start browning.
8. Remove the mushrooms and onions from the pan to where the chicken and bacon are.
9. Add in the sun dried tomatoes, white wine, and stir well, then let reduce by half, about 15 minutes.
10. Add in the heavy cream, roasted garlic, chicken and vegetables.
11. Add in most of the Parmesan cheese leaving just a garnishing amount.
12. Stir well, then add in the pasta and bacon and combine everything.
13. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 1/4th recipe

Amount Per Serving:

• Calories: 674 Calories