Definitely Not Healthy

But oh so tasty! My hubby's friend, D, the one who used to come over and hang out with me, is moving to Canada. I didn't find out about this until yesterday afternoon when my hubby called to ask if his friend could coem to dinner (I've never felt more like a mom than right in that moment which is crazy since I'm not a mom at all).

Of course that meant that instead of going to the gym like I was supposed to, I needed to go to the grocery store so I could actually cook something that wasn't Hamburger Helper (yeah, we were going the processed food route last night, but at least I had good intentions of going to the gym). What I ended up making is truly worthy of being in a restaurant. It's the first meal the hubby and I ever made together. In fact, that was before he even was my hubby, and we were housesitting for his dad. That was an adventure.

Asiago Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo with Bow-tie Pasta is seriously one of my most favorite meals. It's got a rich, creamy alfredo, red onion, chicken, and bacon. I was good and lightened it up a little by doing half cream and half milk for the alfredo. Still, I had a very light dessert that I threw together to try to cut back on the richness that was dinner (and I served it with a salad so it was still have least a fairly balanced meal). This is one of those recipes that has a lot of ingredients and a bit of prep work but comes together super fast. You do have to keep your eye on multiple pots, and I tend to make a huge mess when I make this, but it's always worth it when two grown men groan in contentment and have to undo the buttons on their jeans after eating.

Asiago Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo with Bow-tie Pasta
Recipe from All Recipes, adapted by me

2 cups heavy cream (I did half cream, half skim milk here)
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 cup Asiago Cheese (I didn't really measure this)
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with equal parts water
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
3/4 cup bacon (go for the whole package, it's worth it)
1 cup diced red onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 pound grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
1 cup heavy cream (again, half cream, half milk)
1/2 tsp each red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook 2 cups cream until just bubbling. Watch carefully, to ensure that it doesn't boil over. Stir in bouillon and Asiago cheese. Stir with a whisk until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture, and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside, or cover and refrigerate for later use.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. With some crumpled up paper towels, clean most of the grease from the pan and discard.
3. In same saucepan, saute red onion until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and cooked bacon, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chives, chicken and 1 cup cream. Cook, stirring, until cream is heated through. Add Asiago cream sauce, and heat through. Toss with cooked pasta until evenly coated, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.