Making this creamy chicken bow tie pasta will make you feel like the star of your own cooking show. It’s an effortless dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes, but somehow, it makes you feel like you’ve pulled off something glamorous and worthy of applause.

There’s not much to it. Cook tender bites of chicken and yellow squash in a creamy garlic sauce, add the pasta and voila! Dinner. You don’t need fancy skills or ingredients; just a few pantry staples, a skillet and a little confidence. If you’re a fan of dreamy pasta dishes like fettuccine Alfredo or you crave comforting casseroles like chicken tetrazzini, this recipe is for you.

Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Ingredients

• Bow tie pasta: Also known as farfalle, this pasta shape holds the creamy sauce in every fold and curve. Other types of pasta work, too, including penne, campanelle or casarecce.
• Butter: Butter is essential for sauteing the chicken and squash and making a roux for the sauce. Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt yourself.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Cut the chicken into equally sized pieces so it cooks uniformly and quickly.
• Seasonings: Salt and pepper are the dynamic duo that make everything taste like the best version of itself.
• Yellow summer squash or zucchini: Summer squash varieties like yellow squash and zucchini add color, nutrition and a slight sweetness that plays beautifully with the savory elements. Plus, they make you feel like you’re being healthy while eating creamy pasta.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is the thickening agent for the velvety sauce.
• Garlic: Garlic offers an aromatic punch without overwhelming the delicate Parmesan flavor.
• Fat-free milk: Fat-free milk creates a light sauce without heaviness. Use whole milk or 2% for more richness.
• Grated Parmesan cheese: Parmesan gives this dish its sophisticated, nutty flavor. It has has more flavor and better meltability when freshly grated with a Microplane or the small side of a box grater; packaged grated cheese is often mixed with anti-caking agents and preservatives.

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