Copycat Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic
This dish is what happens when comfort food meets “date night at home.” Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic is hearty enough to feed a crowd, but fancy enough to make you feel like you’re dining at a little trattoria in Italy (minus the airfare and jet lag).
This might not be the lightest meal on your menu this week, but every bite is 100% worth the splurge. We’re talking golden chicken, crispy bacon (or pancetta if you’re feelin’ extra), silky roasted garlic, and a Parmesan cream sauce that will have everyone “accidentally” licking their plate. Pair it with a glass of white wine — because you’ll already have the bottle open from the recipe anyway.
Why You’ll Love It
- Rich and Flavorful: Roasted garlic adds a sweet, mellow depth to the sauce.
- Crowd-Pleasing: This dish is hearty and indulgent — perfect for family dinners or entertaining friends.
- Restaurant Vibes at Home: A glass of wine, a plate of this pasta, and suddenly your dining room feels like a little Italian trattoria.
- Flexible: Easy to swap proteins, go meatless, or bulk it up with extra veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless (about 3/4 lb)
- 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
- 12 ounces center cut bacon, cut into strips
- 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions (don’t forget to salt the water).
- Cube chicken into 1-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Cook chicken until browned and cooked through, 2–3 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
- In the same skillet, add bacon. Cook until crisp, then remove bacon but keep the drippings.
- Add mushrooms and onions. Cook 5–7 minutes until golden and softened. Remove and set aside with chicken and bacon.
- Stir in sun dried tomatoes and white wine. Simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and roasted garlic. Stir in chicken, veggies, and most of the Parmesan.
- Fold in pasta and bacon. Toss to coat.
- Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and serve hot.
Pro Tips
- Don’t like Mushrooms? No problem, just omit them. It will still be delicious!
- Batch Roast Garlic: Roast a few heads at once — it keeps in the fridge for a week and elevates everything from sauces to bread.
- Make it Meatless: Skip the chicken and bacon, double up on mushrooms and toss in some spinach or peas.
- No Wine? Use chicken broth plus a squeeze of lemon for acidity.
- Creamy Upgrade: Add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.
Pairing Suggestions
- Side Dish: A simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette keeps things fresh.
- Cheesy Bread Twists: Crusty garlic bread twists for soaking up every last bit of sauce.
- Dessert: Finish with something light — think panna cotta or fresh berries with whipped cream.
Favorite Tools Used
- Cast Iron Skillet: Perfect for searing chicken and building layers of flavor.
- Garlic Roaster (or foil packet): Makes roasting garlic a breeze.
- Wooden Spoon: Essential for stirring that silky sauce.
Final Thoughts
This Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic is a recipe you’ll find yourself making on repeat. It’s comforting yet elevated, flexible yet impressive. Perfect for a weeknight when you want something indulgent, or for when you’re hosting and need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Cook it once, and it’ll quickly earn a spot in your “keeper” recipe file — right next to the dishes that never fail to bring people back for seconds.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken & Roasted Garlic
Creamy farfalle pasta tossed with juicy chicken, smoky bacon, mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes in a roasted garlic-Parmesan cream sauce. A cozy, restaurant-worthy dinner you can make at home!
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet – Perfect for searing chicken and building layers of flavor.
- Garlic Roaster – Makes roasting garlic a breeze.
- Wooden Spoon – Essential for stirring that silky sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 head roasted garlic cloves removed
- 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
- 12 ounces center cut bacon cut into strips
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms quartered
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions (don’t forget to salt the water).
- Cube chicken into 1-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Cook chicken until browned and cooked through, 2–3 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
- In the same skillet, add bacon. Cook until crisp, then remove bacon but keep the drippings.
- Add mushrooms and onions. Cook 5–7 minutes until golden and softened. Remove and set aside with chicken and bacon.
- Stir in sun dried tomatoes and white wine. Simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and roasted garlic. Stir in chicken, veggies, and most of the Parmesan.
- Fold in pasta and bacon. Toss to coat.
- Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and serve hot.
Notes
Pro Tips
- Batch Roast Garlic: Roast a few heads at once — it keeps in the fridge for a week and elevates everything from sauces to bread.
- Make it Meatless: Skip the chicken and bacon, double up on mushrooms and toss in some spinach or peas.
- No Wine? Use chicken broth plus a squeeze of lemon for acidity.
- Creamy Upgrade: Add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.
- Wine: A crisp Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc balances the creamy sauce.
- Side Dish: A simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette keeps things fresh.
- Cheesy Bread Twists: Crusty garlic bread twists for soaking up every last bit of sauce.
- Dessert: Finish with something light — think panna cotta or fresh berries with whipped cream.
Nutrition
Serving: 6 ServingsCalories: 889kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 41gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 886mgPotassium: 1130mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 805IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 220mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!