This deliciously creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta recipe is a delicious meal that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. It is packed with flavor from the smoky bacon, garlic, and creamy sauce. The best part is that it is easy to make and it's a meal your whole family will love!
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ This creamy pasta dish is full of flavor from the bacon and garlic. Plus, it's super easy to make!
✔️ The pasta sauce is so simple, it makes this meal great for weeknight dinners.
✔️ Plus, you only need a few simple ingredients to make it, and they are all easy to find at your local grocery store.
Ingredients
For the exact measurements for this easy recipe, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions, just scroll down to the bottom!
- Cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve about 1-½ Cups of the pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Cook the bacon to crispy and drain well on a paper towel.
- Cook the chicken breast in the skillet with the bacon fat. Season both sides. Cook about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and slice. Set aside.
- Wipe the skillet clean. Add the butter and melt. Next add the chopped garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and pasta water with the cooked garlic and bring to a low boil.
- Season with onion powder, mustard and salt and pepper and whisk. Add the parmesan cheese and stir well until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix well. Add the sliced chicken and the bacon. Stir to combine.
Equipment
- large pot or dutch oven
- large skillet
- paper towels
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FAQ's
Heavy cream or half-and-half are great for this pasta recipe.
Yes, you can use any type of pasta such as penne pasta or farfalle, just keep an eye on the cooking time to make sure they don't overcook.
Yes, you can however, you will not get as thick and creamy of a sauce. Cream will works best.
Deb's tips
- Make sure to cook the pasta al dente for best results. Check the package directions for the brand that you are using for proper timing.
- Choose smoky, thick-cut bacon for this recipe.
- Don't drain the bacon grease, you want to cook your chicken in it for the best flavor.
- You can add salt and black pepper to taste in your sauce. I like to start with less salt, and adjust as needed.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, basil, or green onions for a nice pop of color and fresh flavor.
Variations
- You can also add some red pepper flakes or diced tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Skip the butter and use the bacon fat to make the roux, you won't be sorry! It will be just as delicious!
- Mushrooms, fresh spinach, and zucchini all work well in this creamy chicken pasta if you want to add more vegetables to this dish.
- Season chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder if you want a little bit of extra flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate - Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer - This pasta does not freeze well due to the cream sauce.
Reheat- Gently reheat on stovetop over low heat with a splash of heavy cream, if desired. Or in the microwave on 50% powder for 2-3 minutes or until warm all the way through.
Related recipes
- Are you looking for another pasta recipe to make on busy weeknights? If so, give this Creamy Taco Spaghetti recipe a try! It's a Mexican-inspired casserole that will have your family asking for more!
- This Chicken Noodle Casserole is the ultimate comfort food. It's creamy, hearty and tastes just like Grandma used to make when you were a child.
- Creamy Lemon Pasta is one of my go-to easy recipes when I am craving something light, and simple, yet still flavorful. You will love this dish!
Serve with
- You can't have creamy chicken bacon pasta without a bread side like this Air Fryer Garlic Bread. It's buttery, full of garlic flavor, and perfectly crispy.
- If you are looking for a fresh and healthy side dish to serve with this chicken bacon pasta recipe, give this Outback Wedge Salad recipe a try. It pairs so well with this meal.
- End this delicious weeknight meal with a sweet treat that doesn't take a lot of effort, like this Lemon Ice Box Pie.
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If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 6 slices bacon roughly chopped
- 2 chicken breasts butterflied
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup pasta water + possibly more
- 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ Cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot bring about 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes, to al dente.
- Reserve about 1-½ Cups of the pasta water and drain pasta, set aside.
- While cooking the pasta, add the bacon to a large 12" skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the bacon starts to crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.
- Place the butterflied chicken breast into the skillet along with the bacon drippings. Season the chicken breasts and cook about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and slice. Set aside.
- Using a paper towel clean the skillet of the bacon drippings. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and melt.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream and pasta water with the cooked garlic and bring to a low boil. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Season with onion powder, mustard and salt and pepper. Whisk together. Add the parmesan cheese and stir well until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens.
- Add the cooked noodles to the pan and mix to coat all the noodles evenly. Add the sliced chicken and the bacon. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with a little more parmesan then some chopped parsley for garnish. Enjoy!
ColleenB.~Tx. says
On my menu for next week. Giving you a 5 star rating cause your recipes haven't failed me yet; plus I need to use up some of my freezer chicken, so was great timing of you posting this recipe now. Me Thanks U. By the way, I may add a can of Rotel (well drained) to the mixture.)
There is one thing that I never do, and that is; I Never add salt to my water when boiling potatoes or past. I use that water; once cooled down to water my container plants. (why dump that water down the drain when it can be reused?)
Don't use salted or seasoned pasta water for plants. Omit the salt if boiling potatoes, pasta, etc.
The boiled, cooled down water is fine (NOT salted water) but it doesn't feed the plants so you will still have to feed your plants.
Enjoy the remainder of the week.
Stay safe and keep cool.
Debra Clark says
Oh yum, you're going to enjoy this Colleen! And what a lovely tip to share! Thank you so much for letting me know. I think I will share it with my readers too. You are so thoughtful!! I appreciate it!
Michelle Gosser says
As always, I love your recipes and usually have to figure out a way I can use them, lol! I've been wanting to try this one for awhile. Finally got to try this today, but with a few twists that might help others on a strict budget. I had 2 boxes of Mediterranean pasta salad, so I used those shells and dried veggies, boiled them. Cooked 3 large, diced chicken breasts with water and added bacon grease from the package of bacon I baked for 30 minutes in the oven. I also diced the bacon and stirred it into the chicken. I took the spice packets and added a dry ranch mix along with 3tbl spoons if mayo and a dash of milk. In a casserole dish (9×13), I put the cooked shells in, the ranch/Mediterranean spice mixture and stirred well. Added the crumbled bacon and diced chicken mixture with juices to the dish and mixed well. Topped with shredded cheese and baked at 350 for 30 minutes. Omg, yum! Thanks again for yet another great recipe!
Debra Clark says
So creative, Michelle, and I appreciate you sharing your budget-saving variation, yum, yum, yum! You are amazing!!!