Bow-tie pasta with Chicken and sun-dried tomatoes

The recipe I thought I'd post today is one I discovered this past December. We were having a Christmas party here at the house and the plans were for a full spread. I had been on an Italian kick so I thought about things I had eaten in the past and kinda threw this together. It turned out to be a hit so I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

1/2 - 3/4 bag of bow-tie pasta
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; sliced across in 1-inch pieces
1 package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (packed in oil; this is very important)
basil
oregano
1 - 1 1/2 C. fresh Parmesan cheese
8 oz. heavy cream
fresh parsley
olive oil
kosher salt (I think the flavor is better than regular salt)
pepper

Heat water for pasta and cook according to package. Make sure you add salt to your water for the best flavor.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and herbs. Remember if you use fresh herbs, you will have to use more than the dried herbs. In a hot skillet, cook chicken in about 1 Tbsp of olive oil until browned. Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same skillet, add about 1 more Tbsp of oil and saute onions, mushrooms, garlic and herbs. The mushrooms have a tendency to soak up the oil so keep a close watch in case you need to add more oil. When these are tender, add the heavy cream and sun-dried tomatoes and stir well. Slowly stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It is important to use freshly grated. I've made this with the already shredded and it doesn't taste the same. It is worth the effort to buy the block of cheese and grate it yourself. I promise it makes all the difference. This is also where you have some room to play around with this dish. If you want more sauce, add more cream and cheese. If you're watching your waistline, use some chicken broth and less cream.
Add the chicken back to the dish and heat through.
Stir in the cooked, drained pasta and heat in the skillet so the pasta will absorb the sauce. Plate and sprinkle with fresh parsley and a little more Parmesan cheese. Serves 6
This works well for a party, served with nice crusty bread, and a salad.
It also works for an easy dinner at home for the family. It's very quick and very delicious. My kids, who can be picky really like this one.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!