Creamy Chicken Pasta With Bacon
Easy, comforting and oh so creamy! This indulgent creamy chicken pasta with bacon takes just 25 minutes from start to finish, making it a great weeknight dinner. Perfect for a beginner home cook too!
Print
Pin
Save
Servings: 4 - 5 people
Calories: 895kcal
Ingredients
- 300 g / 10 ounces dried fettuccine pasta or other types of pasta shapes
- 1 cup heavy/thickened cream
- 500 g / 1 pound chicken breast cut into bite-size
- 200 g / 7 ounces bacon diced
- ¼ cup cream cheese or freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ brown onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- a squeeze lemon juice about 2 teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Remember to heavily salt the pasta cooking water.
- Whilst pasta is cooking, in a large non-stick pan, stir fry onions and garlic on medium heat with olive oil. About 1 minute.
- Add bacon and cook until bacon starts to caramelise. About 4 - 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Spread the chicken out into a single layer in the pan and let it turn slightly golden and brown on one side before flipping and cooking the other side. This creates depth of flavour. (note 1)
- Reduce heat down to low and add cream cheese and heavy cream. With the spatula, break apart the cream cheese to help it dissolve faster.
- By now the pasta should be cooked (note 2). Drain and add pasta to the pan with creamy chicken sauce. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
- Mix pasta well for about 1 - 2 minutes on low heat then serve. Add a little pasta cooking water if needed to loosen up the sauce (but you should not need it).
Notes
1. Spread the chicken pieces out into a single layer and only flip and turn once the pan side is golden brown. This gives the chicken a chance to caramelise a little for that desired depth of flavour (colour = flavour!). Constantly stirring the chicken as soon as it hits the pan will just promote liquids from escaping the chicken and turning it a little watery and stops any colour from forming.
2. Cook pasta to al dente for that perfect texture and bite. In particular, the pasta will continue to cook a little as it is being mixed into the creamy sauce so by the time you eat, the pasta will be at a perfect texture!
Freezer/fridge. Store any leftovers in airtight containers. Keeps well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it defrost in the fridge the night before reheating. Keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!
Nutrition
Calories: 895kcal | Carbohydrates: 62.2g | Protein: 43.4g | Fat: 52.1g | Saturated Fat: 23.8g | Cholesterol: 207mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7.1g | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 3mg