Decadent Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta is a quick and easy chicken pasta dish. Full of heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and bacon, this recipe teases your palate with its rich, creamy deliciousness.
A real family and kid favorite, this creamy chicken pasta recipe has a fun twist. I’ve added a touch of dry ranch dressing mix to ramp up the flavor even more.
Plus, the best part is, you can have it on the table in 20 minutes or less. So it’s perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have the time or inclination to prepare a complicated dish.
How many calories?
Okay, you knew there had to be a catch because this dish sounds too good to be true. Unfortunately, creamy chicken and bacon pasta is high in calories. When you think of comfort food, rich and creamy comes to mind, and this chicken and bacon pasta is no exception.
One serving of this chicken pasta recipe comes in at 675 calories. The first clue is the word creamy in the title, and that creaminess comes from heavy cream.
Can I reheat it?
Yes! Not only that, but leftover chicken and bacon pasta is just as good the next day. I usually reheat it in the microwave for about a minute. If you want to reheat it in the oven, I would add about a tablespoon of water to the dish to keep the pasta from drying out.
More creamy chicken pasta recipes:
Recipes with chicken and pasta are a favorite at our house and here are some I think you would also like:
- Ultimate Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Easy Chicken Mushroom Marsala Pasta
- Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli Pasta
- Skillet Mediterranean Chicken Bake
If you need more menu ideas or recipes that feature chicken, check out all of my chicken recipes here.
What to serve with it?
Because this dish is so rich, a simple side dish or salad works best. I usually serve it with Southern Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Roasted Green Beans, Brussels Sprout Salad, Sautéed Spinach, or Marinated Carrots. If you need more ideas, check out these links for more side dish recipes or salad recipes.
How to make Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta:
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package to the al dente stage. Before draining the pasta, reserve one and one-half cups of the water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, add the butter to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and saute for about four minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Then, add the cream and one cup of the pasta water and stir to combine. Add the parmesan cheese and ranch dressing and stir until the cheese has melted.
Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for two-three minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add the pasta and stir to combine. Let the pasta cook in the sauce for two minutes.
Add the chicken and cook for one-two minutes.
If the sauce looks too thick add some of the reserved pasta water, about a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a consistency you like.
Top the chicken and pasta with bacon and garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
I used Torcetti pasta in this recipe because that’s what I had. Feel free to substitute any sturdy pasta you have on hand or your family likes. Bowtie, macaroni, penne, fettuccini, or fusilli would all be good choices.
For a dish like this, I like to cook my bacon in the microwave. I place the bacon on folded up paper towels on a paper plate and cover it with another paper towel. Usually, one minute per slice works perfectly. Drain on a clean paper towel before chopping.
Leftover cooked chicken works great in this recipe, or I always have chopped cooked chicken in my freezer to use for recipes like this. I usually roast four skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts at a time. Then, after the chicken cools, I chop it up and freeze it in two-cup packages. Easy peasy! Check out my recipe for Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts here.
I serve this dish in the skillet I cooked it in to save on cleanup.
★ If you make Chicken and Bacon Pasta, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it! Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Decadent Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Recipe:
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta I used Torcetti
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup pasta water reserved from cooking the pasta
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix or more to taste
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package to the al dente stage. Before draining the pasta, reserve one and one-half cups of the water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the butter to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and sauté for about four minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Then, add the cream and one cup of the pasta water and stir to combine. Add the parmesan cheese and ranch dressing and stir until the cheese has melted. Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for two-three minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine. Let the pasta cook in the sauce for two minutes. Add the chicken and cook for one-two minutes.
- If the sauce looks too thick add some of the reserved pasta water, about a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a consistency you like.
- Top the chicken and pasta with bacon and garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
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