This is one meal I can stand behind all the way! It’s full of chicken, bacon, pasta and an incredibly creamy, savory sauce. Plus, it’s fairly easy and quick to make with a few tips and tricks I’ll be sharing with you. You all know I’m a fanatic about pasta and if you visit my Pastas & Noodles page, you’ll see all the different dishes I’ve experimented with in the past. This Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta is my newest recipe but I can honestly say it has become one of my favorite pasta dishes so far.
COOKING THE CHICKEN, BACON & PASTA SEPARATELY
For this recipe, I like to cook the chicken, bacon, pasta and sauce all separately and then mix them together at the end. This ensures perfectly cooked ingredients without any extra sogginess. I used a basic penne pasta because the shape soaked up the creamy sauce nicely and blended with the rest of the ingredients quite well. You’ll notice in the pictures that the sauce has a nice deep yellow, almost orange looking color. This is due to the sun-dried tomatoes and all their oils and herbs. The addition of shredded mozzarella at the end gives the sauce a thick and cheesy consistency.
HOW TO BAKE JUICY CHICKEN BREASTS
For those who have been following me for a while, you’ll remember that with any recipe that involves baked chicken, I like to include a little step-by-step guide on how to ensure perfectly juicy chicken breasts every time. So, here’s that list:
- Brine the chicken breasts for 15 minutes by submerging them in cold water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Drain the chicken breasts and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Rub each chicken breast with olive oil. Then sprinkle with a mixture of salt, black pepper, and paprika.
- Place chicken breasts side by side in a baking dish. Bake for about 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest about 5-10 minutes before slicing.
The great, time-saving trick about this recipe, is that you can finish cooking the pasta, bacon and sauce all in the time it takes for the chicken to bake. And then toss all the ingredients together for the final, delicious product. You can choose to either cut up the chicken in bite sized cubes and mix it in with the rest of the dish, or you can slice the chicken into thin strips and top the pasta with it that way. I chose a combination of both methods.
CREAMY CHICKEN & BACON PASTA
As you can see, this dish is packed with so many filling ingredients that it makes a great meal all on its own. But if you’re still looking for a side dish, I’d highly suggest something simple like a light, refreshing salad. I’m very excited for you all to try this Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta! Let me know how you like it in the comments below.
TRY THESE CREAMY PASTA RECIPES NEXT!
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Creamy Bacon & Kielbasa Pasta Skillet
- Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta
Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta Recipe
Course: MainDifficulty: Easy6
servings5
minutes35
minutes963
kcalFull of chicken, bacon, pasta and an incredibly creamy, savory sauce. Packed with flavor and filling ingredients for a perfect, easy dinner.
Ingredients
- FOR CHICKEN
3 chicken breasts
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
- PASTA DISH
16 oz penne pasta
16 oz bacon
8 oz jar sun dried tomatoes (in oil and herbs)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella
- OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Dried or fresh parsley
Red pepper flakes
Directions
- FOR CHICKEN
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Coat the chicken with the olive oil and then sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and paprika
- Place chicken breasts side by side on a baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes
- Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing
- FOR PASTA DISH
- Cook pasta according to package instructions
- In a large skillet, fry the bacon on medium heat until browned and crispy. Remove from skillet, cut into bite sized pieces and set aside for now
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes (with all its oil/herbs) and the minced garlic to the skillet. Heat on medium for about 3 minutes until fragrant
- Add the salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning and heavy cream. Mix well and bring to a boil
- Lower heat to a simmer and add the shredded mozzarella. Mix until the cheese melts
- Remove from heat and add the cooked pasta, bacon and sliced chicken. Mix until everything is coated well
- Top with parsley and red pepper flakes as desired
Notes
- Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.
Nutrition Facts
6 servings per container
Calories963
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
57g
88%
- Saturated Fat 22.2g 111%
- Cholesterol 258mg 86%
- Sodium 2447mg 102%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Potassium 1104mg 32%
- Total Carbohydrate
50.5g
17%
- Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6%
- Sugars 3.7g
- Protein 60.6g 122%
- Calcium 6%
- Iron 31%
- Vitamin D 104%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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