Johnny Carinos Bowtie Festival

Johnny Carino Bowtie Festival is an irresistible dish. You can find Johnny Carino restaurants in many large cities.  This dish features bacon, fresh vegetables, and chicken, all tossed in a creamy alfredo sauce.

Copycat Johnny Carino's bowtie festival in a bowl.


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Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant

Do you love great Italian food? If you are lucky you may live near a Carinos Italian restaurant. They serve up flavorful fresh-made Italian food every day. Headquartered in Austin, Texas there are about 70 restaurants in the United States. If you don’t live near one, you should try going to one as soon as you can.

What is Bowtie Festival?

One of Johnny Carino’s most popular dishes is the Bowtie Festival. You might wonder why it is called that. It’s filled with pasta, grilled chicken, bacon, and a creamy tomato sauce – a festival for the mouth!

What’s not to love about crisp bacon and grilled chicken? Best of all you can recreate this dish at home in no time at all.

Even if you aren’t an experienced cook you can make this recipe. You can make it even more flavorful if you use a homemade Alfredo sauce. There are several good jars of Alfredo sauce available if you don’t want to make it from scratch.

Ingredients

This pasta dish is made with common ingredients you may already have in your pantry. You don’t need to go to the store to find exotic ingredients. Here’s what you need:

  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Red onion
  • Cooked bacon
  • Roma tomatoes
  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Alfredo sauce
  • Asiago cheese
  • Garlic salt
  • Salt and pepper
  • Bowtie pasta
Copycat Johnny Carino's bowtie festival ingredients on a wood surface.

How to Make Johnny Carino’s Bowtie Festival

  1. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set it aside.
  2. Cook the chicken if needed. You can boil, bake, or grill it. Cut it into bite-sized pieces.
  3. In a heated saute pan, combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken, and spice mixture.
  4. When onions begin to turn translucent, add heavy cream and Asiago cheese.
  5. Once cheese and cream have been reduced by half, add Alfredo sauce and cooked pasta.
Cooking copycat Johnny Carino's bowtie festival in a skillet.
  1. Stir until well combined and remove from heat.
  2. Allow pasta to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce can thicken.
Overhead view of copycat Johnny Carino's bowtie festival in a bowl.

What to Serve with this Bowtie Pasta Dish

To balance out the richness of the Bowtie Festival, serve sides with lighter or contrasting flavors. By offering a fresh salad, crunchy bread, or a tangy vegetable side, you can create a well-rounded meal that satisfies all tastes. Here are some ideas:

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Storing: Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.

Reheating: You can reheat the pasta in the microwave, covering it loosely and stirring occasionally to ensure even heating. Alternatively, reheat on the stovetop by transferring the pasta and sauce to a saucepan and warming over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Make this Johnny Carino Chicken Bowtie Festival Pasta recipe tonight!

Overhead view of copycat Johnny Carino's bowtie festival.

Love pasta? Try these recipes!

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Be sure to check out more of the best pasta recipes and my famous casual dining restaurant copycat recipes.

Copycat Johnny Carino's bowtie festival in a bowl.

Johnny Carinos Bowtie Festival

Enjoy Johnny Carinos Bowtie Festival, even more, when you make it at home. 
5 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Johnny Carinos Bowtie Festival, Johnny Carinos Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 651kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic chopped
  • 1/8 cup diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup diced cooked bacon
  • 1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes
  • 1 cup sliced, cooked chicken
  • 1 ounce heavy (whipping) cream
  • 1 jar Ragu Alfredo sauce (I got the Cheesy kind)
  • 1/8 cup Asiago cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 10 ounces pre-cooked Bowtie pasta

Instructions

  • In a heated sauté pan, combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken, and spice mixture.
  • When onions begin to turn translucent, add heavy cream and Asiago cheese.
  • Once cheese and cream have reduced by half, add Alfredo sauce and bowtie pasta. Toss until well combined and remove from the heat.
  • Allow the pasta to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce can thicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 651kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1287mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.2mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angie Nelson

    5 stars
    Haven’t eaten at a Johnny Carina’s in prob 10 years. This recipe is very close to the one I always used to get!

  2. Tonja

    5 stars
    I have made this twice now in 2 months. I made it last night for a pasta night with my family. We each make a pasta dish to share and this one was a huge hit! My son who is 24 told me I have to teach him. Johnny Carino’s was one of my favorite chain restaurants, and it sadly closed many years back. Honestly, if you eat it as soon as it’s done and hot you cannot tell the difference. Also, I winged the asigo cheese measurement because I bought a chunk and had no way to really measure it. I just tasted it to be sure it was enough. I’m so happy I now have this recipe.

  3. KH

    I have made this a couple times and it’s HEAVEN! Was always my hubby’s favorite at JC’s. Hate that ours closed several years ago but got to go this year when we went to Gatlinburg! I just decided this is what I’m making for Christmas!!!!

  4. Kristi

    5 stars
    Really good just didn’t use the bacon and made the Olive Garden alfredo sauce. I also baked it for a few with mozzarella on top. Definitely a hit

  5. Susan

    My teenage daughter & her boyfriend decided to make this one night using your recipe (vs my made from scratch) recipe and I have to give it a thumbs up! They used Bertolli’s Alfredo sauce instead of Ragu but otherwise it was the same.

5 from 15 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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