Chicken and Bacon Pasta

Creamy, cheesy, and delicious chicken and bacon pasta can be an easy 30-minute weeknight dinner for your whole family or a small gathering.

All the flavors we love in one pan – that’s how good this great recipe is. I would say it is an American-Italian comfort food that doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or a pricey bill at a restaurant.

It fixes pasta and creamy sauce cravings in no time, fills you up, is super easy to customize, and looks great too!

It is not though a carbonara upgraded with chicken, as classic carbonara has eggs, and this creamy sauce is made differently.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A family favorite and a crowd-pleaser any time of the year.
• An almost one-pan no-fuss meal with minimal prep work and clean-up.
• Absolutely delicious! Creamy sauce, crispy bacon, perfectly cooked pasta, garlic, and cheese. That’s comfort food for busy weeknights that the entire family loves.
• A great recipe to use leftover cooked chicken.

Kitchen Equipment

• Large pot
• Skillet
• Slotted spoon

How To Make Chicken And Bacon Pasta Dish

1: Pre-Cook Bacon And Pasta

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse if using regular pasta, rinse when using GF pasta.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. 
3. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave approximately 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.

2: Cook Chicken

1. Add the chicken and olive oil to the same skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. If you don’t want to use bacon fat to cook chicken, sear it with olive oil over medium high heat, then rudece to medium and cook until browned.

3: Make The Creamy Sauce

1. Add garlic to the same pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, bringing it to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

4: Assemble The Pasta Dish

1. Stir the cooked chicken and bacon back into the sauce. Then add the cooked and drained pasta and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.
2. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately while still hot.
3. You can also serve it with a little bit of green salad.

Storage

Cool completely and store chicken and bacon pasta leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

The chicken bacon pasta dish doesn’t freeze well as dairy sauce will get grainy and pasta mushy.

To reheat add a splash of water or milk to revive the sauce. You can warm up chicken and bacon pasta portions on the stove or in a microwave on low power for 1-2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.

Substitutions & Variations

• Bacon substitutes. Turkey bacon will be easier on some sensitive stomachs.
• Bulk-it up. Classic additions are fresh spinach and fresh tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes (drain well), or sun-dried tomatoes. They also make the dish so colorful! Frozen spinach may be easier to cook.
• To make an extra creamy pasta, add cream cheese, Greek yogurt, mascarpone, half and half, or heavy whipping cream to the sauce. But in any case, milk won’t work.
• More flavors. Experiment with seasoning to add more flavors. You can use Italian seasoning or steak seasoning, add crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, garlic salt instead of regular, Dijon mustard, lemon juice (goes well with chicken), and dried herbs for the sauce
• No cream chicken pasta. You can make this pasta without cream, dairy, or butter. Either substitute with vegan alternatives or simply use pasta water as the sauce.
• This delicious recipe can be made with rotisserie chicken, your favorite jarred pasta sauce, or homemade alfredo sauce to make this a quick weeknight meal. 

Expert Tips To Make The Best Chicken Bacon Pasta

• Save some pasta cooking water to adjust the thickness of the sauce. 100 ml will be more than enough.
• If using cream cheese, cut it into cubes or chunks to help it melt faster and combine it well with the sauce.
• Make sure you melt parmesan cheese on low heat to avoid lumps and clumps.
• Opt for free-range raw chicken, not frozen or commercially farmed. The reason is simple – the latter have too much liquid and it will make your sauce watery.
• Cutting bacon before cooking it makes it easier to use it. When it is cooked and cripsy, it doesn’t always lay horizontal which makes it harder to cut.
• If you’re unsure whether the chicken is done, you can use a meat thermometer to check its internal temperature. It should be 165 degrees F.

If you love this chicken and bacon recipe, you’re going to love these other recipes featuring that flavor combo too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Chicken Pasta Recipes

Slow Cooker Chicken Pasta

Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo – from Olive Garden

Triple Cheddar Chicken and Pasta

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