Chicken and Bacon Pizzaiola Pasta is simply pizza style chicken pasta in the best ever homemade Italian Spaghetti sauce! Baked with Mozzarella, Bacon and Parmesan, the chicken is unbelievably tender and juicy.
What is Pizzaiola
Pizzaiola, also known as carne alla pizzaiola, is a traditional Italian dish, typically featuring meat (here I used chicken with bacon) cooked in a tomato-based sauce with garlic, oregano, and sometimes white wine. The name "pizzaiola" translates to "pizza-style," reflecting the use of classic pizza ingredients!
I used Panko bread crumbs for chicken pizzaiola, because they provide such a nice crunch factor for the outside of the chicken. The chicken is also coated in bacon, Parmesan and Mozzarella, and all together this is the perfect Italian meal that comes together in no time and is great for the entire family!
Ingredients
The recipe calls for 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 6 bacon strips and 12 oz of Spaghetti. To make the amazing and quick Italian Pizzaiola sauce, you will need:
- Tomatoes. I used crushed tomatoes for the sauce, but the sauce can also be made smooth by using puréed tomatoes. Pureed tomatoes fall somewhere between crushed and paste - they are smoother, thicker and deeper in flavor than crushed.
- Salt. Always taste the sauce, if it doesn't taste delicious, add a little more salt.
- Basil. I used dried basil, but if you have access to fresh basil - make sure to use it!
- Cheese. Use Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce.
Once you make this pizzaiola sauce, you'll never go back to those inauthentic, sugar-filled jar sauces.
How to make Chicken Pizzaiola Pasta
Overview: The main steps to the Chicken Pizzaiola Pasta include cooking bacon, making Italian Spaghetti Sauce, baking chicken, boiling spaghetti and finally putting it all together. And the quick and authentic homemade spaghetti sauce is traditionally flavored with Oregano, which is what I used as well, but any Italian seasoning (a combination of oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil) will do great. Easy enough!
Cook bacon: Start by baking the bacon in the oven. Lay 6 strips of bacon on a sheet pan (I did not use foil, but you can definitely bake it on foil and avoid the clean up!) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400F until the bacon is really crispy. Remove from oven and dry on paper towels; then cut it into small chunks.
Make chicken pizzaiola: Lightly grease a baking dish or baking sheet with sides large enough to comfortably fit all the chicken. Paper towel dry the chicken (4 chicken breasts measuring 1.5 lb).
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Oregano or Italian seasoning. Dredge the chicken in ½ cup bread crumbs and arrange them in the baking dish.
Top with ½ cup Parmesan cheese and sprinkle cooked chopped bacon on top of Parmesan.
Next, top with ½ cup Mozzarella cheese and bake at 375 F for 20 to 30 min until chicken is done. Do not over-bake - you risk getting a dry instead of juicy chicken.
Just make sure to bake chicken pizzaiola at 375 F and check after 20 minutes so that you don't over-bake it.
Make pasta: Cook 12 oz of spaghetti in salty water according to your package instructions. I like pasta that is neither too hard nor too soft, so I always cook it Al Dente. Drain, but do not rinse.
Assembly: Finally, arrange chicken pizzaiola on top of your spaghetti and the delectable Italian dinner is on the table! Buon appetito!
Tips for making chicken pizzaiola pasta
- Generously season the chicken breasts. The salt tends to evaporate during baking so it's a good idea to over correct on salt a bit.
- To check if chicken is done, make an incision in one of the bigger chickens to see if it's no longer raw and pink in color.
- Check at 20 minute mark to ensure that the chicken is not overbaked.
More delicious chicken and pasta recipes
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta
- Authentic Italian Chicken Parmigiana
- Creamy Chicken Pasta in White Wine Parmesan Cheese Sauce
- Spicy Chicken Lazone Pasta
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Chicken and Bacon Pizzaiola Pasta
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Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless and thick
- 6 bacon strips cooked and chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- ½ cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes (one can)
- 1 cup chicken broth sodium free (adjust salt to taste if not sodium free)
- 1 teaspoon Oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Pasta
- 12 oz Spaghetti
Instructions
- BACON: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay 6 strips of bacon on a sheet pan (I did not use foil, but you can definitely bake it on foil and avoid the clean up) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the bacon is really crispy. Remove from oven and dry on paper towels; then cut it into small chunks.
- HOMEMADE ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE: Start making the sauce now, before baking the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, chopped, and cook it until translucent. Add garlic cloves, minced and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, cup chicken broth, oregano (any Italians seasoning will do as well), dried basil, sea salt and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook about 10 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, stir and simmer for additional 5 minutes.
- BAKING THE CHICKEN: While the sauce is simmering, start making the chicken. Lightly grease a baking dish. Paper towel dry the chicken. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Coat the chicken with the bread crumbs (½ cup) and arrange them in the baking dish. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese (½ cup), sprinkle with cooked chopped bacon and then top with shredded Mozzarella cheese (½ cup).
- Bake at 375 for 20 to 30 min until chicken is done. Do not over-bake. Make sure to check at 20 minutes by making a an incision in one of the bigger chickens to see if it's no longer raw and pink, but instead white in color.
- COOKING PASTA: Cook 12 oz of spaghetti in salty water according to your package instructions. I like pasta that is neither too hard nor too soft, so I always cook it Al Dente. Drain, but do not rinse.
- ASSEMBLY: First remove ½ cup of prepared sauce (to be used on top of the chicken in the next step).
- Add cooked pasta and mix well. Taste to make sure it's seasoned enough. Add more pepper and salt, if necessary.
- Add baked chicken into the skillet and spoon the removed ½ cup of the warm sauce evenly over chicken. This should coat it nicely, but with bacon and Mozzarella still showing thru. Serve immediately or cover with lid to keep the dish warm.
Our new favorite chicken pasta recipes include this Cajun Chicken and Sausage Penne Pasta dish! It's so unbelievably flavorful and I cannot recommend it enough!
and this amazing Chicken Spinach and Bacon Alfredo Pasta. Both recipes are so easy to make and are perfect for midweek dinners!
For other popular chicken recipes, please see Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Apples and Chicken Pasta in Creamy White Wine Parmesan Sauce).
M. Adams says
Excellent! I want to try adding mushrooms & broccoli. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Debbie H. says
I substituted with spaghetti sauce instead of specified one..... It was a quick dinner and my family loved it
Emily says
My family loved this recipe so much they even ate it the next night for leftovers! I did double the recipe to make extra for leftovers!! Served it with a green crips salad & crunchy/chewy French baguettes and it was a hit!!