My nine year old daughter Bernadette is rarely without a drawing utensil of some sort in her hands. She’s constantly creating works of art, writing in diaries and sharing stories. Recently, she presented me with what is now my favorite of her creations.

It’s titled: “My List of My Favorite Foods By My Mom!” and it nearly made my mama heart explode. This is better than a James Beard Award and far surpasses any sort of Michelin star in my kitchen and if you’re a longtime follower, you’ll likely recognize some of our dishes. My classic Chicken & Wild Rice Soup came in at number 6 and Chicken Pot Pie (which she wrote as “Chicken Pop Pie” and now I might change the name) was the first dinner that came to her mind.

Second on the list (which Bernie insists is in no particular order) is “Broccoli Chicken Cream Pasta” and when I posted her work of art on my social media pages, dozens of followers requested the recipe. Ask and you shall receive, my friends. I made it this morning on Minnesota Live and an happy to share the specifics here. Enjoy!

Broccoli Chicken Cream Pasta

Gather this:

• 1 16-ounce package of fusilli pasta
• 6 ounces high quality bacon, chopped
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 9 ounces broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Do this:

Fill a large pot with filtered water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tbsp salt to the water and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of of he pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven or large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, leaving the fat behind in the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper (or your favorite seasoning blend!) and place the thighs in the pan. Cook in the bacon fat until browned and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking (about 8-10 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a cutting board to rest.

Add the broccoli and garlic to the pan along with 1/2 cup pasta water. Stir and cook for about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the chicken. Add the chicken, bacon, pasta and heavy cream into the pan. Stir to coat and reduce heat to low. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked pepper. When the cream has thickened and coats the pasta, turn off the heat and add parmesan. Serve, adding more parmesan on top if desired.