Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta
This creamy chicken bacon pasta is a fabulous one-pot meal that's great for busy weeknights.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1046kcal
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon lean
- 16 ounces pasta uncooked, spaghetti or linguini
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into strips or chunks
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (about 3 large cloves)
- 1 teaspoon marjoram or oregano (dry)
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup pasta cooking water reserved when pasta is done when draining
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon until crispy. Move to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving ¾ cup pasta cooking water at the end before draining.
- With heat on medium, add the chicken to the bacon fat in the pan, stirring and turning often. (Turn down heat if needed if it's too hot, but you want a nice hot sear initially to seal in juices). Cook 10 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
- Add garlic, marjoram, parsley, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Cook 5-7 minutes more or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Turn heat off, and add cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir and cover for 5-10 minutes until softened.
- Add cream, pasta cooking water, and pasta. Stir together.
- Crumble cooked bacon and add to the top. Serve hot.
Notes
The higher heat will help seal in the chicken juices to make it more flavorful and juicy.
Nutrition
Calories: 1046kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 879mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1975IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 3mg