Creamy Chicken Bacon Penne (Printer View)

Tender chicken and bacon in creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce with penne. A rich, comforting Italian-American dish ready in 40 minutes.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne pasta

→ Meats

02 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), thinly sliced
03 - 5 oz bacon, chopped

→ Dairy

04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 small onion, finely diced
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

→ Pantry & Seasonings

10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.
03 - Season the chicken slices with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the skillet, then the chicken. Sauté until golden and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
05 - Pour in the heavy cream, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer, then stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce thickens. If needed, add reserved pasta water a little at a time to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Return the cooked chicken and bacon to the skillet. Stir in the chopped parsley. Add the drained penne and toss everything together to coat evenly.
07 - Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like something from a cozy Italian bistro but comes together in under an hour on a weeknight.
  • The bacon fat adds a layer of flavor you simply can't fake with anything else.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and somehow taste even richer the next day.
02 -
  • Don't drain all the bacon fat, that single tablespoon left behind is what gives the chicken an extra layer of smoky flavor.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, it's usually because the heat was too high when you added the Parmesan, keep it at a gentle simmer.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, it's the easiest way to fix a sauce that's too thick without watering down the flavor.
03 -
  • Let the skillet get hot before adding the bacon so it renders evenly and crisps up instead of steaming.
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a block, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that make the sauce gritty.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta, it should be slightly over-seasoned because the pasta will dilute it a bit.
Return