Creamy Chicken Bacon Penne (Print Version)

Tender chicken and smoky bacon in a silky garlic-Parmesan cream sauce with penne. Rich, satisfying, and ready in 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# How to Make It:

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 pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - 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 add 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 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 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.
07 - Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Everything comes together in one skillet after the pasta boils, so cleanup is actually manageable on a weeknight.
  • The bacon fat left in the pan adds a smoky depth you just cant get any other way.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of milk or cream, and somehow taste even better the next day.
  • Its fancy enough to serve guests but forgiving enough that you can make it half asleep on a Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, that starchy liquid is the only thing that will loosen a too-thick sauce without making it watery.
  • Slice the chicken thin and even so it cooks at the same rate, I learned this the hard way when half my pieces were dry and the other half were still pink.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan melts smooth and creamy, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy and weird.
  • Keep the heat at medium when you add the cream or it can break and get oily instead of silky.
03 -
  • Cook the bacon first and use that rendered fat to cook the chicken, it layers in flavor you can't get any other way.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat for a minute after combining, it gives the sauce time to cling to every piece instead of sliding off.
  • Taste before serving and don't be shy with the black pepper, it cuts through the richness and makes everything pop.
  • If you're serving this to guests, prep the chicken and bacon ahead of time so all you have to do is boil pasta and make the sauce when they arrive.
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