Bowtie Pasta with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

One of our favorite restaurants (The Anvil Inn-now closed) had a dish similar to this, but they used tortellini instead of bowtie pasta. I searched the Internet for recipes that included "prosciutto and mushrooms in a rich parmesan sauce" to no avail. So I combined a couple of different recipes to get this one. This is something you probably want to make for company. It costs about $5-7 (depending on meats-see recipe) for 6 servings, so it's more than I usually spend on a dinner for just the two of us. Like most pasta dishes, it's even better the next day when you eat the leftovers!

1 box bowtie pasta (or penne)
2 1/4 cup half & half (could use heavy cream if desired)
1/4 tsp instant chicken bouillon (or 1/4 cube-crumbled)
3/4 c parmesan cheese
1/2 Tbl cornstarch
2 Tbl butter
1/4 c prosciutto, chopped (could use bacon, turkey bacon, or chicken)
1 Tbl garlic, minced (more if you like)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I used baby portabella)
1/2 Tbl parsley

• Boil pasta according to package directions
• Bring 2 cups of half & half to simmer
• Whisk in bouillon and cheese
• Dissolve cornstarch in 2Tbl water- Whisk into mixture.
• Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Melt butter in skillet
• Stir in meat, garlic, and mushrooms. 
• Saute 3 minutes
• Mix sauce, pasta, and meat.
• Add 1/4 cup half & half and parsley

Linked to