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Creamy Chicken Bacon Pasta

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword cream-chicken-bacon-pasta-recipe, creamy-chicken-bacon-pasta
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 575kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz angel hair pasta or spaghetti
  • 6-8 slices bacon cooked and chopped
  • 2 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 5.3 oz package garlic and herb Boursin cheese
  • 2 cups heavy cream or half and half
  • 2-3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • fresh chives

Instructions

  • Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water per the package instructions until al dente. Drain well.
  •  In a large 12-inch skillet fry bacon slices over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon reserving 2-3 Tbsp in the pan. Drain on a paper towel lined plate or platter, then chop.
  • To the bacon fat add the cubed chicken. Season with dry Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, black pepper and onion powder. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or just until the juices run clear. Turn as needed for even browning. Remove from the skillet to a platter, keep warm.
  • Next, add Boursin cheese and half and half to the pan. Simmer over medium-low-heat until the cheese has melted scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Reduce heat to low and add in chicken and spaghetti. Stir until all the ingredients are coated in the cream sauce.
  • Let simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Add Parmesan and bacon, stir to distribute.
  • Serve immediately garnished with fresh chives.
  • The Sauce Thickens As It Sits - Please note that the sauce will thicken the longer that it sits. Don’t over cook the sauce or leave it on the hot stovetop for too long or the sauce may become too thick. If you’ve reached the desired thickness after just 2 minutes on the stovetop, it’s fine to remove it from the heat early since all the ingredients are already cooked. You can use pasta water to thin the sauce, if needed.

Notes

    • Boursin Cheese - Other flavors of Boursin work in this recipe as well. My favorite for this recipe is the Garlic and Fine Herbs but you can adapt using your favorite. You could also use softened Alouette cheese.
    • Heavy Cream - I don't recommend swapping out whole milk for heavy cream. You can use half and half, but the cream is what gives this creamy pasta recipe its creamy texture.
    • Bacon - Feel free to reduce the amount of bacon or add a little bit more based on your taste preference. Keep in mind that bacon is salty though so don’t go crazy with it. You could also use cubed ham or turkey bacon.
    • Chicken - You could use chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts. 
    • Shortcut - For a timesaver, you could use any pre-cooked chicken like rotisserie chicken in this recipe. Just make sure the chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces first and all the skin from the chicken is removed.
    • Pasta - You could use linguine or fettuccine or a tubular pasta like penne pasta. Keep in mind, you may need to add additional cream or pasta water to thin the sauce. 
    • Parmesan Cheese - You can use Parmesan-Reggiano cheese or Parmesan-Romano cheese. If you prefer to serve it sprinkled on top, you can!
    • Fresh Herbs- - You might like to add fresh rosemary or parsley to the sauce to amp up the flavor.
    • Vegetables - You could add fresh spinach or diced onion to the dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 575kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 477IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 1mg