Chicken Bacon Pasta

This delicious Chicken Bacon Pasta is a simple dish that your family will enjoy any night of the week!

Life gets to busy with everyone's hectic schedules, and then it's time for dinner... This Chicken Bacon Pasta is one of my go-to recipes to feed my family on those busy weeknights. It's quick to whip up, and is such a filling meal. Made with chicken, bacon, and pasta coated in a creamy sauce, this comforting meal is sure to be a family favorite. Even better - you only need ONE pot to cook it in! It's also a great dish that can be enjoyed as leftovers!

Chicken Bacon Pasta is a comforting dish that is also an easy meal for busy weeknights. You also don't need as many ingredients as you would think:

• Pasta: You can actually use any pasta you like or have on-hand! I personally like penne or rotini pasta because of how it holds all the sauce.
• Bacon: Any bacon will work great for this recipe! Just cut it into equally-sized bits before cooking.
• Chicken: For this recipe, you will need boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cubes. For even cooking, make sure the pieces are as close in size as possible.
• Cream Sauce: The creamy sauce in this recipe is a blend of garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, and shredded parmesan.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set it aside on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra grease. Leave a couple of tablespoons of the remaining bacon grease in the pan.

In a separate pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Add the chicken cubes and a bit of olive oil to the pan. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes, until browned and cooked thoroughly. Remove the chicken and set it aside, but keep the liquid in the pan.

Now it's time to cook up the sauce! Start by adding chopped garlic to the liquid left in the pan, and cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Next, stir in heavy cream and chicken broth and bring it to a simmer for 3-4 minutes. The sauce should just start to thicken before moving on to the next step.

Return the chicken and bacon to the skillet, and stir them into the sauce until evenly coated.

Add the cooked pasta and a generous amount of parmesan cheese to the mixture. Toss everything until evenly combined. Taste and add additional seasoning, if needed.

Garnish the chicken bacon pasta with fresh parsley, if desired. This dish is best served immediately while hot.

To store the pasta, make sure to allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it into an airtight container and refrigerating. You could also prepare this dish for a week's worth of meals! Just separate the pasta into separate containers and refrigerate until ready to eat.

To reheat, microwave the pasta or warm it in a skillet over medium heat. The sauce may thicken quite a bit after being cooled, so you can thin it back out with a small splash of heavy cream or milk.

Chicken Bacon Pasta

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 oz pasta
• 4 chicken breasts, cubed
• 12 strips bacon, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions.
2. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
3. Add the chopped bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy.
4. Remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
5. Add chicken and olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until completely cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
6. In the same skillet, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
7. Stir in the heavy cream and chicken broth, bringing it to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
8. Return the chicken and bacon to the skillet and stir them into the sauce.
9. Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese, then toss to combine.
10. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed.
11. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
12. Serve immediately, while hot.

Storage: 

• Let the pasta cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
• Portion the pasta into separate containers for easy single-serve meals.
• To reheat, microwave or a warm in a skillet over medium heat. You may need to add a splash of milk/cream to thin the sauce a little.

Chicken Bacon Pasta is such a simple and delicious dish that is just what you need after a busy day. It's so quick to make, it's comforting, and tastes delightful!! If you decide to give this recipe a try, I'd love to hear all about it! Please share your creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest!

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