I can’t say I ate a wide variety of different cheese as a kid. American (and it’s equally processed cousin Velveeta), cheddar, grated parmesan in the green container, Swiss and, as a teen, pepper jack. As I progressed through my teens and twenties the next round included Romano, blue (and gorgonzola), queso and many others.
My first experience with Asiago was the Asiago bagel. Great stuff. I think I went years with that being my only way of having it. Finally a few years ago I went in search of it for a cheese plate.
Like many semi-hard Italian cheeses, there is a slight nutty flavor to it. It melts well and brings a richness of flavor to this recipe.
Pasta…cheese….bacon…..cream. Call the cardiologist. But wait until I finish eating first!
I used canned chicken to speed the process.
Be careful not to scald the cream.
Sauté the onions.
Add the bacon.
The cream sauce.
The chicken.
And the pasta!
Asiago Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Prep Time: 25 Min | Cook Time: 35 Min | Servings: 8 servings | Difficulty:medium
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon Asiago Cheese
- 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
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup chopped green onion
- 1 pound grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
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.
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.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute red onion until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and cooked bacon, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in green onions, 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.
Nutritional Info:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 733 | Total Fat: 47.1g | Cholesterol: 187mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Nom. Do you deliver? I can almost smell how good this tastes while I’m reading it.
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Mmm… A real grown up mac-n-cheese. This has sparked a severe craving. Must…make…asap.
~Daniél
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I am so in pasta mode right now and this sounds delicious. In fact , it makes my tummy growl.
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So rich!
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This actually sounds awesome! I’m never really “brave” when it comes to cooking … but I think I must try this one!
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looks great, speaking of cheese have you tried Manchego, 12 month ?
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Holy yum!
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Holy Asiago, Batman! This looks amazing.
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They actually still make canned chicken? The recipe looks great, but I think I’d just leave out the chicken and still have a filling, rich dinner. I’ll have to wait awhile though, because I’m feeling pretty full just from reading it!
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That seems like a really nice saturated fat overdose:)
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I grew up with all those cheeses and then some that were off the chart smelly but seriously tasty. Real Parmigiano Regiano, Romano, Asiago, yep. Italian-American here.
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I know you loved this meal! So delicious!!! Take your fish oil or krill oil vitamins and you will be fine:]
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Looks amazing!
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I was lucky enough to work in a cheese shop when I was just barely 18, and Asiago quickly became my favorite cheese. But with over 200 cheeses, I was in heaven. I learned so much and love cheese to this day. This sounds delicious.
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this looks really delish!
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Sounds fabulous! All you needed was an egg yolk carbonara style and you would have keeled right over. 😉 Just don’t let the doc know what you eat. He aint tellin you what he had for dinner either.
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Yowzers! Too bad I just had my cholesterol checked. 😦
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Bookmarked. We don’t like sun dried tomato. Do you think it would be as good with sweet pepper? Any idea what else I could use in its place? It looks so yummy!
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Looks great!
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Oh wow. As soon as our ‘Forks over Knives’ Experiment ends…I’m making this! Thanks for stopping by!
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i want some!
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what a benefactor you are…you know, these poor cardiologists need to earn a living in some way 😉 If I can give you an idea without seeming arrogant or somenthing, I’m sure you can obtain a “light” and “low-fat” version using ricotta cheese instead of heavy cream and Asiago. Just put ricotta in the mixer with few spoons of the pasta boiling water, add 2 (or more, it depends on how many pasta you are cooking 😉 spoons of olive oil, black pepper and pecorino or parmesan cheese (grated). After few minutes in the mixer these will be a soft cream. You don’t need to cook it, when you put pasta in the pan with the other ingredients just add this ricotta cream and toss for a minute. I know, it won’t be so tasty as your recipe, but in this way your cardiologist won’t become rich 😉
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I agree – call the cardiologist later 🙂 – Super delicious recipe. I love the creaminess of the dish!
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I don’t think a cardiologist needs to be summoned. This is something that is eaten as a treat or on a special occasion, right? These “real” ingredients are better than a lot of “low-fat”/”non-fat” chemical concoctions. With a salad as a side it sounds so yummy!
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Thank you so much for organizing this by ingredient! This is just what I was looking for…
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You had me at asiago! Love the recipe! May be tweaking it a little for my diet and budget tho. If something comes of it, I’ll let ya know 🙂
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