You guys! I just stumbled across one of my favorite easy dinner recipes: creamy chicken and bacon pasta.
I haven’t made it in a while and can’t believe I forgot about it!
This indulgent pasta dish is downright heavenly. It features tender chicken, crispy bacon, and a rich, decadent Parmesan cream sauce.
I make mine with fettuccine and typically serve breadsticks and a light salad on the side. It’s seriously SOOOO good.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
Quick Preparation: From start to finish, this pasta only takes about 30 minutes to prepare. It’s a quick, easy, and delicious meal for busy weeknights.
Minimal Cleanup: Luckily, cleanup is just as simple as cooking for this recipe. You’ll cook the noodles in one pot and make everything else in a single skillet. Easy peasy!
Rich Taste: In my opinion, you can never go wrong with noodles, chicken, and a cheese-based sauce. And bacon just makes everything taste better. Plus, cooking everything in the bacon fat makes it extra decadent.
Totally Tweakable: Need to adjust the recipe? No problem! Substitute turkey or vegan bacon and use whatever noodles you have on hand. You can even add veggies for extra oomph.
Ingredients
- Fettuccine Pasta: These long, flat noodles are perfect for coating in creamy sauces.
- Bacon: Crispy and smoky, it adds a salty, savory depth to the recipe.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: Lean, tender breast pieces will cook quickly and absorb flavors from the other ingredients.
- Butter: It’ll melt into the sauce for a rich, creamy texture and taste.
- Garlic & Onion: These two ingredients are essential for flavoring any good pasta sauce.
- Heavy Cream: It ensures the sauce is luxurious, indulgent, and velvety smooth.
- Parmesan: This sharp, nutty cheese will melt into the sauce, making it creamy, cheesy, and just a bit salty.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Subtle and spicy, they’ll add heat but won’t overpower the pasta.
- Fresh Parsley: If there’s a better herb for garnishing pasta, I’m not sure what it is!
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
The following may look like a lot of steps for a 30-minute recipe, but it really isn’t.
The trick is timing: you’ll want to cook the bacon first, then cook the pasta while you cook the chicken and make the sauce.
The steps move really quickly once you get started, so be sure to have everything ready to go!
1. PREP: Cut the chicken in half to create smaller cutlets. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. COOK BACON: Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. BOIL PASTA: In a large pot of well-salted water, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
4. COOK CHICKEN: In the skillet with the bacon grease, cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and wipe the skillet clean if desired.
5. SAUTÉ: Cook the onion in olive oil until soft, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
6. MAKE SAUCE: Turn the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese with 1/2 cup of pasta water until smooth. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
7. COMBINE: Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. If needed, add more pasta water so the sauce coats the pasta well.
8. FINISH: Remove from heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
9. MIX: Roughly chop the bacon and chicken, then mix into the pasta and sauce. Serve immediately with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
If you’re like me, you like a few extra tips before starting a recipe.
Here are my best ones for this one:
- Don’t stress over the pasta. You can use any sturdy pasta shape you have. Penne, linguine, even elbow macaroni!
- Timing. As mentioned, you’ll want to cook the pasta after cooking the bacon but while you cook the chicken and sauce. If you make it too early, it’ll gum up in the colander.
- Grate the Parmesan yourself. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it ten million times: freshly grated cheese is always superior to the bagged varieties. It tastes better and will melt into the sauce more smoothly.
- A note on the reserved water. You may not need it all, so don’t dump it in all at once. Add just a little at a time until the sauce reaches the consistency you want. Once it does, you can discard the rest of the water.
- Bake the bacon. That way, you can get started on the pasta and chicken right away! But, of course, you won’t get that flavor in the rest of the dish as you would if you cook the chicken in the bacon grease.
- Wipe the bacon grease? I don’t because I want that flavor in every step of the dish. But if you want a nice “clean” sauce, wipe the skillet and add oil.
- Add veggies. Peas, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes all work nicely with the Parmesan sauce. You can also try mushrooms, bell peppers, and more.
- Other variations. Swap the bacon for pancetta or prosciutto. Substitute cheeses, such as gouda or asiago, for the Parmesan.
- Perfect pairings include. Light, leafy green salads or steamed/roasted veggies. You can also never go wrong with garlic bread and a tall glass of Pinot Grigio.
How to Store
This chicken pasta dish is so good, you’ll be tempted to lick the plate clean (no judgment here!).
And like most creamy pasta recipes, it won’t freeze well. But you can store leftovers for a day or two.
To Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If possible, store the pasta and sauce separately.
To Reheat: Warm the pasta in a microwave-safe dish, stirring every 30 seconds until warm. Or reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat. If needed, add a splash of milk, water, or cream to revive the sauce.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Lemon Orzo
Tomato Basil Pasta
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Creamy Lemon Pesto Pasta
Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
6
servings15
minutes20
minutes697
kcalThis creamy chicken and bacon pasta is the perfect family dinner. From the tender chicken and salty bacon to the cheesy sauce, everyone will want seconds.
Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6-8 slices bacon
16 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
1/2 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half horizontally to create smaller cutlets. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large, cold skillet, arrange the bacon in a single layer. Turn the heat to medium and cook, flipping occasionally, until the bacon is crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a large pot of well-salted water, cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, add the chicken to the skillet with the bacon grease. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and wipe it clean with paper towels (optional).
- Add the olive oil (if needed) and onion to the skillet and cook until soft. Add the garlic, stir, and cook until fragrant.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese with about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Mix until smooth, then slowly pour in the heavy cream. Simmer and stir until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. If needed, add more pasta water, a little at a time, until it coats the pasta well.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Roughly chop the bacon and chicken and mix into the pasta and sauce. Serve immediately with fresh parsley and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Timing. Cook the pasta after cooking the bacon but while you cook the chicken and sauce. If you make it too early, it’ll gum up in the colander.
- Bake the bacon. That way, you can get started on the pasta and chicken right away! But, of course, you won’t get that flavor in the rest of the dish as you would if you cook the chicken in the bacon grease.
- Wipe the bacon grease? I don’t because I want that flavor in every step of the dish. But if you want a nice “clean” sauce, wipe the skillet and add oil.
