Creamy Chicken Bacon Penne (Printable)

Tender chicken and smoky bacon tossed in a rich garlic-Parmesan cream sauce with penne pasta. A satisfying Italian-American comfort dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne pasta

→ Meats

02 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (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 Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 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 chopped bacon and cook until crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.
03 - Season chicken slices with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the skillet, then the chicken. Sauté until golden and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
05 - Pour in heavy cream, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer, then stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce thickens. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
06 - Return cooked chicken and bacon to the skillet. Stir in chopped parsley. Add drained penne and toss until evenly coated with sauce.
07 - Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet after the pasta, so cleanup is shockingly fast for something this indulgent.
  • The bacon fat adds a smoky depth you cannot get from any seasoning blend.
  • It reheats beautifully the next day, which means leftovers actually taste like a treat.
  • You can have this on the table in under an hour, even on a weeknight when energy is low.
02 -
  • Do not let the garlic cook longer than a minute or it will turn bitter and ruin the sauce.
  • Reserve pasta water before you drain, because once it's gone, there's no way to fix a sauce that's too thick.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, not the shelf-stable kind, or the sauce will taste grainy and won't melt right.
  • Let the cream simmer gently, never boil hard, or it can break and separate.
03 -
  • Slice the chicken as thin as you can manage so it cooks quickly and stays tender, and pound it lightly if the breasts are uneven.
  • Start the bacon in a cold skillet so the fat renders out slowly and the pieces crisp up evenly without burning.
  • Grate the Parmesan right before you add it to the sauce, because it melts better when it's fresh and hasn't dried out.
  • Toss the pasta in the sauce off the heat for a minute before serving so the flavors have a chance to marry without overcooking anything.
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