Why not treat yourself to Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta for dinner tonight?
Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta
My hubby requested a hearty pasta dish which led to this Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta. Yes, I know this is my second post in a row featuring bacon. But you know what they say – everything is better with bacon! I did streamline some steps and tweak a few ingredients from the original recipe. The end result is a yummy, easy meal that’s on the table in just 40 minutes!
Why I’m Loving This Pasta
- Seasoned sliced chicken & thick cut bacon provide a hearty helping of protein.
- Diced canned tomatoes, spinach, garlic and crushed red pepper are mixed together in the chicken saute pan, taking on the same flavorful seasonings.
- Creamy Parmesan sauce gets a beautiful pink tinge and tons of flavor when it melds with the vegetable/herb mixture.
- Its easy to adjust the garlic and crushed red pepper to your liking.
- You can use half & half or heavy cream for the sauce depending on how indulgent you’re feeling.
Tweakings
Tomatoes – I went with diced canned tomatoes vs. chopped fresh tomatoes. Much less chopping and I love the flavor of Hunt’s Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. If you prefer, you can chop 4-5 tomatoes into large chunks instead.
Spinach – Fresh, coarsely chopped spinach made more sense to me then using cooked spinach, so that’s the route I took. The fresh spinach actually gets cooked when the cream boils. This is also easier than breaking apart cooked spinach to stir it into the pasta. But if you have cooked spinach on hand, use 1 cup of that instead.
Serving Size & Reheating
The recipe serves 4 hearty servings or 6 lighter servings. If you do have leftovers, I suggest drizzling the pasta with a little additional half & half and warming it slowly in the microwave on a lower setting. This keeps the sauce from breaking down.
More Pasta Ideas
Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil – combined)
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- I 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes drained (I used Hunt’s Fire Roasted)
- 2 1/2 cups fresh spinach very coarsely chopped
- 3-5 garlic cloves minced depending on your preference for garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more if you prefer additional heat
- 6 slices thick cut cooked bacon chopped
- 1 1/3 cups half & half or heavy cream see notes
- 1 – 1 1/3 cups shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese see notes
- 10 oz pasta bow tie, penne or whatever you prefer
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded, for serving
Instructions
- Season both sides of chicken with paprika, Italian seasoning and salt. Add oil to a large skillet, on medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown for about 3-4 minutes, turning once. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for several minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Do not wipe out skillet.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook according to instructions. Drain the pasta.
- While pasta is cooking, add drained chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper and half the bacon to the pan used to cook the chicken. Mix everything.
- Add cream or half and half and bring to boil. Add shredded Parmesan cheese, then immediately reduce to simmer and stir until the cheese melts and thickens the sauce, about 1-2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Season with more crushed red pepper and salt, if desired.
- Slice chicken into thin strips. Add pasta and sliced chicken into skillet and mix well. Serve pasta topped with remaining bacon and shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Was looking for something not on the “usual list” for dinner, and I always have success when I go to Thyme to Cook! And once again there was this winner! Chris and I gobbled it down with lots of mmmms along the way. We are already looking forward to having the leftovers tomorrow!
So glad you liked it! š„° This is one of our favorites too! Everything is better with bacon. š„
Cathy: I made this dish last night for Robyn, Tom, and the granddaughters. WOW! Everyone raved! It was delicious, but best of all, what a great way to get the little girls to each spinach and tomatoes! Sidney whispered in her mother’s ear that this was her new favorite dish. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Cathy, I made the creamy chicken and bacon pasta the other night. It was a very tasty dish. Charlie and I both liked it and best of all enough for leftovers the next day. Will definitely make again. Judy
So glad you liked it and took the time to comment. Its one of those easy recipes with familiar flavors that everyone loves.