Bowties del Coray

This mouthwatering pasta recipe comes from Cooking with Cory: Inspirational Recipes for the Fearless Cook, published by Whitecap this month. Cory Parsons is a Nanaimo-based cook. Cory writes:

“The inspiration for this recipe comes from a little restaurant here in Nanaimo. It is very simple to prepare and the flavours are amazing. This is my version of this dish and it is so good that I put my name on it!”

1 gallon (4 L) water

2 tsp (10 mL) sea salt

1 lb (500 g) uncooked farfalle (bowtie pasta)

1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

3 oz (90 g) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

7 oz (200 g) crumbled snow goat cheese

1 cup (250 mL) roughly chopped fresh parsley

6 slices prosciutto, finely chopped

1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt

1 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large stockpot with the water to a boil over high heat. Season with 2 tsp (10 mL) salt. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, garlic, and shallot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until opaque, about 10 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes. Combine the cooked pasta with the chicken and stir in the goat cheese, parsley, prosciutto, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, and pepper.

Cory’s Tips

• Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are best for this recipe as they are ready to use and do not require rehydrating. Specialty delis and import markets often carry snow goat cheese, but if it is difficult to find, any soft goat cheese is an excellent substitute.

• Double your garlic quotient by adding a bulb of roasted garlic to this dish (page 19 in Cooking with Cory). Simply squeeze the cloves directly into the pasta with your other seasonings.

• I like the bowtie pasta for this dish, but any shape may be used.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4