This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This chicken bacon spinach pasta recipe is fast, easy, and delicious. Crispy bacon and tender chicken take this weeknight recipe to the next level!

close-up of easy chicken bacon spinach pasta in a white bowl

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. 😉

two white bowls of pasta with bacon and spinach and tender chicken

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.

bowl of creamy chicken bacon spinach pasta with parmesan

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.

white bowl with spinach bacon chicken pasta

I hope you’ll like this easy chicken pasta recipe!

Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask me. 🙂

This easy chicken bacon spinach pasta is weeknight dinner perfection! It'll be a new family favorite. 
4.84 from 6 votes

Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta

By Natasha Bull
This chicken bacon spinach pasta recipe is fast, easy, and delicious. Crispy bacon and tender chicken take this weeknight recipe to the next level!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Save Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Print Recipe

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

Calories: 553kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 471mg, Potassium: 716mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1887IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

More About Me

The Salt & Lavender cookbook is here! Order Now

Leave a comment

Please leave a recipe rating!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

32 Comments

      1. 4 stars
        Gave recipe 4 stars because I added a couple things. I used 5 strips of bacon, can of mushrooms and red pepper flakes. It was too thing, so added flour. Need to think about this for the next time, because still a little thin. I used bowtie spinach pasta. I will definitely make this again with my tweeks and maybe less chicken broth. It was very good!

        Reply

  3. This sounds delish. I would love to try this but don’t want to go out just for the cream during this time. Would full fat vitamin D work or 2%? I have both of those at home.

    Reply

    1. Hi! I’ll be honest… unless you’re comfortable with thickening sauces (like adding a bit of extra flour/cornstarch) or reducing it without overcooking the chicken, I wouldn’t recommend it. I totally understand not wanting to go out, but I also don’t want you wasting ingredients either.

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This is delicious. I left out the chicken and slightly increased the bacon. I also added some red pepper flakes along with some garlic when sautéing the mustard in the bacon fat. Added the noodles to the sauce to cook and added grated parmesan along the way. Topped with toasted panko breadcrumbs with thyme and lemon zest. And, of course, more cheese.

    Reply

    1. Hi! Hmmm I don’t think so. Pasta tends to get kinda mushy when you freeze it, and the cream sauce may separate (even if you froze them separately) and the spinach will be very wilted.

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    This looks insanely good! I’m all about the pasta lately and will be loving any pasta posts you do!

    Reply

  10. I am going to try this tonight. Tried the creamy lemon and fresh tomato salmon pasta, mid week it was delicious, even though I substituted fresh salmon for smoked salmon,it was just what I had in.

    Reply

      1. 5 stars
        I made this tonight using rotisserie chicken, and everyone loved it! Thank you for your blog! I always need new ideas and inspiration when it comes to dinner!

        Reply