Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic
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My farfalle with chicken and roasted garlic is a Cheesecake Factory copycat made with three heads of sweet roasted garlic, crispy bacon, sliced button mushrooms, tender chicken breast bites, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, and a creamy sauce lightened with milk instead of heavy cream.
What I think makes this pasta taste like the Cheesecake Factory version is the roasted garlic. Three whole heads go into this recipe, and I learned during recipe testing that mashing half of them straight into the sauce gives it that silky texture and deep, sweet roasted garlic flavor Cheesecake Factory is known for. The other half stays whole and gets stirred in at the end, so every few bites you hit a soft caramelized clove that melts on your tongue.
I made one deliberate change from the restaurant version: I use milk with a cornstarch slurry instead of heavy cream. Milk is always in my fridge, and I wanted to lighten the sauce without losing any of the flavor. In my kitchen testing, the cream and milk versions were so close in taste and texture that I chose the lighter one. The sauce still coats every piece of pasta beautifully, but you can actually finish the whole plate without feeling weighed down.
The rest of the bowl brings everything together: crispy bacon, tender chicken, chewy mushrooms, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and pops of sweet peas.
Your questions answered
Do the leftovers reheat well? Yes. I think this pasta tastes best when it’s freshly made, but it reheats beautifully. One of the benefits of a milk-based sauce is that it doesn’t break as easily the way a cream sauce can. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a small splash of milk to loosen the sauce, and it’ll come back to life. Leftovers keep well in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
That seems like a lot of garlic. Roasted garlic is very different from raw or sautéed garlic. Slow roasting turns it soft, sweet, and mellow, with none of the sharp bite. Three heads sounds like a lot on paper, but it’s exactly what gives the sauce that signature Cheesecake Factory flavor.
What type of wine should I use? A dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris, works best. If you’d rather skip the wine, chicken stock with a small squeeze of lemon is a solid substitute.
Add some sides!
I serve this most often with a side of Caesar salad as my family loves that classic combination. If I want to make dinner extra special, I’ll also make some garlic bread.
Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Ingredients
- 3 heads garlic
- 8 ounces farfalle (bow tie pasta)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 strips bacon (chopped)
- 2 medium boneless chicken breasts (diced)
- ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 1 medium onion ( minced)
- 5 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 cup dry white wine (can sub chicken stock)
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a piece of aluminum foil with parchment paper. Remove the papery skin from the head of garlic, keeping the cloves intact. Cut ¼ inch off the top of each head of garlic so all of the cloves are exposed. Place the head of garlic into the parchment paper and drizzle the top with a little oil. Wrap the aluminum foil package up tightly and place it into a baking dish. Roast the garlic for 45 minutes, or until soft and golden.3 heads garlic
- While the garlic is roasting, begin cooking the rest of the meal. Put a large pot of well-salted pasta on to boil. Cook the farfalle for 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, then add it back into the pot and toss it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.8 ounces farfalle, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- In a large frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until it's crispy, then remove it from the pan.6 strips bacon
- If the pan has less than 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, add a splash of olive oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until it is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and put it with the bacon.2 medium boneless chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook until the onion begins to caramelize, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer the veggies to the bowl with the chicken. Move the pan off the heat.1 medium onion, 5 ounces mushrooms
- Once the roasted garlic is cooked, let it cool slightly then squeeze the cloves from the skins.
- Put the pan back on medium heat, add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes, and bring them to a boil. Continue boiling the wine until it reduces by half, about 5 minutes.1 cup dry white wine, ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- Add half of the roasted garlic and mash it into the sauce. (Choose the larger cloves to mash.)
- Put the cornstarch into a measuring cup and mix in a little of the milk. Stir in the rest of the milk, then pour it into the pan. Add the parmesan cheese and the remaining whole roasted garlic and stir until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 cup milk, ¾ cup shredded parmesan
- Add the crispy bacon, chicken, and vegetables to the pan. Add the peas, stir well, and let the sauce reheat. Finally, add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix it into the sauce.1 cup frozen peas
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Nutrition
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I’d like to try this with heavy cream instead of milk. Would I need to still add the corn starch slurry? Thank you!
I think cream will likely thicken enough without the cornstarch. If it doesn’t, you can always mix a little cornstarch with water and add it after.
Amazing, although I might have cooked the wine too long because I had to add some chicken stock.
But very good!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Great meal, just like CHEESECAKE FACTORY!
I’m so happy that you love the recipe!!
Yumm, this looks amazingly delicious. I just had a go at roasted garlic and must say they are pretty darn good. I’ll be trying this!
This was so delicious! It felt like a lot of steps making it my first time, but I’m sure knowing what I’m doing next time will feel like a breeze. Such a tasty meal 🙂