Creamy Chicken Bacon Penne (Printable Version)

Rich pasta dish with tender chicken, smoky bacon, and creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce. Ready in 40 minutes for satisfying Italian-American comfort dining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne pasta

→ Meats

02 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 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 and Aromatics

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

→ Pantry and Seasonings

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

# How to Prepare:

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, approximately 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, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
05 - Pour in the heavy cream, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer, then stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce thickens. If needed, add reserved pasta water gradually to achieve desired sauce 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 with the sauce.
07 - Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like something from a cozy Italian restaurant but comes together in less time than delivery would take.
  • The bacon fat adds a smoky depth to the sauce that butter alone just cannot replicate.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of milk, making it perfect for next day lunches.
  • You can have everything prepped and cooked in one skillet after boiling the pasta, so cleanup is mercifully simple.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling to the noodles and prevents it from breaking.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoothly into the cream, but pre grated cheese has anti caking agents that can make your sauce grainy.
  • If you add the chicken back too early, it will overcook and turn rubbery, so wait until the sauce is ready.
03 -
  • Cook your pasta one minute less than the package says if you plan to toss it in the skillet with the sauce, it will finish cooking and soak up flavor.
  • Let the cream sauce simmer gently and avoid boiling it hard, or the cream can split and turn grainy.
  • Slice the chicken against the grain so it stays tender and does not get chewy, and keep the slices thin for faster, more even cooking.
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