Creamy Chicken Bacon Penne (Printable)

Tender chicken and smoky bacon in a luscious garlic-Parmesan cream sauce tossed with penne pasta. Simple, satisfying comfort food.

# What You 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 and Aromatics

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

→ Pantry and Seasonings

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

# Directions:

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, about 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, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 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, a little at a time, 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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under 40 minutes, so you can have restaurant-quality pasta on the table faster than delivery.
  • The bacon fat adds a smoky depth to the sauce that butter alone just can't match.
  • It reheats beautifully the next day, which means leftovers taste like a gift instead of a compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, a splash of it loosens the sauce and helps it cling to the noodles without breaking.
  • Cook the bacon first and use that fat for flavor, draining it all is a missed opportunity for smoky depth.
  • Add the garlic after the onion so it doesn't burn and turn bitter in the hot pan.
03 -
  • Slice the chicken thin and against the grain so it cooks fast and stays tender instead of turning chewy.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan from a block, the pre-shredded kind has coatings that prevent it from melting smoothly.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta, it should be slightly over-seasoned because the noodles will absorb some of that flavor.
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