Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon -

Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Spinach in Creamy Tomato Sauce

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4.25 from 634 votes

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon

The DELICIOUS creamy sauce permeates every single bite of this dish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken bacon pasta

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings 2 cups

Calories 1059kcal

Author Olya

Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

6 bacon strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless and skinless chicken (thick in size, such as chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 small tomatoes (diced)
2 cups spinach
1 ½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (more, if desired)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
1.5 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded (more for garnish)

Pasta:

10 oz. penne pasta
2 tablespoons Parsley (chopped)

Instructions

BACON: Add bacon strips to the skillet and cook until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined platter that will absorb extra grease. Chop into 1 inch pieces
Drain the bacon fat from the skillet and wipe the skillet with a paper towel.
CHICKEN: Paper towel dry the chicken and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then set aside.
Heat olive oil in the same skillet. Add chicken breasts and cook on each side on medium high heat for about 4 minutes per side (for a total of 8 minutes) until nicely browned. If chicken is still pink in the center, reduce heat to medium and cook covered for several minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from pan and slice it.
Add butter to the hot pan and once it melts, add chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes on medium high until tomatoes release their juices. Add fresh spinach and cook until it wilts.
Reduce the heat and season with paprika, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and salt. Mix.
Next add heavy cream - you are still cooking on low heat. Once heavy cream is slightly simmering, slowly add Parmesan cheese. Once you add the cheese, stir on low simmer until smooth.
PASTA: In the meantime bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.
Add sliced chicken, bacon and pasta. Next add chopped parsley. Stir until fully coated in sauce. Season with more salt if necessary.
TO SERVE: Serve with additional shredded Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Video

Notes

Recipe Source: Juliasalbum

Nutrition