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This chicken bacon spinach pasta recipe is fast, easy, and makes an elevated weeknight meal. Crispy bacon and tender chicken take this creamy pasta to the next level!
Try my Creamy Bacon Chicken or Tomato Spinach White Wine Chicken next.
Why you’ll love it
Bacon, spinach, and chicken are a combo that just really works. One lovely reader commented that this chicken pasta is “out of this world good“! The chicken is so tender, and the savory flavors combine in the creamy sauce to make something special.
Here at S&L we adore pasta dishes that seem fancy but are made with simple, everyday ingredients, and this chicken and bacon pasta is no exception! It’s also on the table in just over half an hour. Top with a dusting of fresh parmesan, and dinner is so good.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like a longer variety like fettuccine or linguine, but use anything
- Bacon – it makes everything better! Cooking the chicken in bacon fat also adds awesome flavor.
- Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Garlic powder – to infuse savory flavor right into the chicken
- Flour – keeps the chicken tender and helps to thicken the sauce
- Dijon mustard – one of my favorite ways to enhance flavor
- Lemon juice – to balance everything and add a touch of acidity
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – to add silkiness and more flavor
- Spinach – a pop of freshness
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Use a pair of kitchen shears to quickly cut up the bacon.
- Store uncooked pasta in one of these airtight containers for freshness.
- Here is the cast iron skillet I use.
- Chicken is cooked when it’s 165F in the middle. Never under- or overcook chicken with an instant read thermometer.
How to make chicken spinach bacon pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, leaving behind a little bit of the fat in the pan. Coat the chicken in the garlic powder and flour. Cook until golden but not fully cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the mustard, lemon, and broth to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Return the chicken and bacon, and pour in the cream. Cook the chicken through, and let the sauce thicken.
Stir in the spinach until it has wilted. Season generously with salt & pepper, and toss with the drained pasta. Serve with freshly grated parmesan on top if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend substituting the cream for something lower fat. The sauce won’t thicken up properly, and it won’t taste as good.
- For a fancy touch, swap half the chicken broth with a dry white wine like pinot grigio.
- If you have some on-hand, sun-dried tomatoes would be a yummy addition to this dish.
What to serve with this pasta
- I like a light and refreshing salad. Try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad, or go all out with a Caesar salad and my popular 10-Minute Caesar Dressing.
- A slice of fresh bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread is also a good idea!
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you plan on having a lot left over, I suggest keeping the sauce separate and boiling up fresh pasta when you’re ready.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
If you made this chicken pasta with spinach and bacon, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Tag me on Instagram with your S&L creations.
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on April 3, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I could tell by the ingredients list it would be bland. I added mushrooms, way more garlic powder, some onion powder, a little seasoning salt, some pepper and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes, and it still needed more. Next time I’ll add some basil and double the bacon.
This is a good starter recipe, just needs some tweeks for the gourmet.
This is just okay, it needs more seasoning. It’s not bad just kind of plain. Maybe onion powder or herbs of providence.
OMG!! This was a huge hit with my family. After reading other comments, I doubled everything so I would have leftovers. (Good thing). My picky son had seconds. This is a great addition to my recipe box. Thank you. 😉
You’re very welcome, Tina! 😀
Dear Natasha…
A beautiful recepie. A delight to prepare cook and eat. I have suddenly found myself alone.
This recepie was so easy to follow. I now look forward to each weekend when I can look up your recepies..buy the ingredients and follow your recepies. Next up is your teriyaki chicken
Can’t wait. Your recepies have certainly built up my self esteem. So easy to follow and a delight to prepare and eat. Thank you
Hi Chris!! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying my recipes!! 😀 Thanks for taking the time to write me this kind comment. Hope you enjoy the teriyaki chicken!
This was really, really good. Next time I think increase the amount of sauce, it’s very flavorful and I would like more of it! May have let it reduce a little too much this time. Will definitely make again! Thank you for a great recipe.
You’re very welcome, Susan!! 😀
Natasha, I just recently found Salt & Lavender while searching for a pork tenderloin recipe. Let me just say that I am not a cook. I have never enjoyed it at all and actually dreaded it. All the notes, tips, step-by-step instructions, and your responses to questions have given me hope that I could actually learn to enjoy cooking! I’ve made three of your recipes so far (all turned out great) and have looked at about 10 more I want to try! I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 😁
Your comment made my evening, Susan!! 😀 I’m so happy you found me!! Let me know what else you try.
Easy and delicious. Everyone ate it up!
Wonderful! Thanks, Kelly!
This was soooo good! I will be making it again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you, Jody!
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!!