Creamy penne with grilled chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs butter

• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• ¼ cup bourbon (Buffalo Trace is our fav)

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, chargrilled and cut into strips

• 8 oz penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained

• ¾ cup heavy cream

• 2 tbs chopped fresh thyme

• 2 tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley

• 1 tbs fresh oregano

• 3 tbs grated or shredded Romano cheese

• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking instructions:

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the butter. Saute the mushrooms in the butter for two minutes. Stir in the red bell pepper and saute for two more minutes. Mix in the bourbon. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix in the chicken, pasta, heavy cream, parsley, thyme and oregano. Simmer for two minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Spoon pasta mixture onto four serving plates and serve immediately.

Garnish with more Romano cheese and sprigs of thyme.

Serves 4.

Why we love this

In our family we affectionately refer to this dish as "Kentucky Pasta," shortened from "Kentucky Bourbon Pasta." It's in our rotation regularly from fall to spring. It's also our go-to if we are hosting guests because it's always a hit and it's quick and easy to prepare. To save time, we'll grill the chicken and prep the herbs and vegetables earlier in the day to keep it even easier to prepare. 

Suggested wine pairings

• California Chardonnay

• German Reisling

• Malbec

• Syrah