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This chicken bacon spinach pasta recipe is fast, easy, and delicious. Crispy bacon and tender chicken take this weeknight recipe to the next level!
Since this pasta already contains bacon, I decided not to go too decadent on the sauce. Yeah, it has some cream, but less compared to many other creamy recipes.
And the spinach may not balance the calories out, but it does add a nice pop of freshness that’s often lacking in creamy pasta dishes. 😉
Ah pasta. The perfect comfort food year-round. I’ve got so used to making soups for the blog this past few months that I’m kinda lost on what to make these days! I’m thinking more pasta. 😛
Mind you, I won’t be missing the cold weather. Soups are good year-round IMO. But I know I need to branch out.
How to make creamy chicken bacon spinach pasta
This pasta with bacon and spinach is pretty easy to make. You first cook the bacon, then take it out of the pan, and then cook the chicken partway. You then start the sauce, add everything back in, and a few minutes later you’ve got pasta perfection. I add the spinach in right at the end – just enough for it to wilt a bit.
The longer pasta shapes (fettuccine, linguine, etc.) are having a moment for me, so that’s my preference, but realistically, anything you have in your pantry will do just fine.
If you’re into these flavors, you may also like my simple chicken spinach pasta, bacon cream cheese tortellini, this Tuscan chicken pasta, this creamy balsamic chicken bacon mushroom pasta, or my creamy chicken bacon gnocchi.
I hope you’ll like this easy chicken pasta recipe!
Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask me. 🙂
Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 4 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 medium chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour, for dredging
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups (packed) baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the bacon to a skillet and fry it over medium-high heat until it's nice and crispy.
- When the bacon is almost done, sprinkle the chicken pieces with the garlic powder and coat them in flour.
- Take the bacon out of the skillet and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Leave about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken to the pan and cook it for a few minutes until it's no longer pink on the outside (don't fully cook through). Transfer the chicken to a plate (the same plate as the bacon is fine).
- Add the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and chicken broth to the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and ensure the Dijon mustard has dissolved.
- Add the chicken, bacon, and cream to the skillet. Let it cook for around 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. The sauce will thicken a bit.
- Stir in the spinach and let it cook for a minute or two until it's wilted. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- I used fettuccine. Any shape pasta will work.
- If you have some on-hand, sun-dried tomatoes would be a yummy addition to this dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I am in the UK and am using a double cream, will this need to be whisked first and made thick before I start? It’s quite runny at the moment
Hi Abbie! I never whisk cream unless I’m making whipped cream, so I’d just add it as-is. The cream I use is 33-36% fat and yes, it’s fairly liquidy, but it will thicken up a bit as it cooks.
This was out of this world good. Only addition was red pepper flakes and a couple anchovy filets.
Aww thank you!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo good! Easy and fast dinner for a busy weeknight. Did the recipe exactly as written but used gnocchi. Would definitely make again!
Wonderful!! So happy you liked it!!