This chicken penne pasta recipe is easy to make and loaded with bacon, tender chicken breasts, and an amazing fresh tomato garlic parmesan cream sauce. It's ready in about 30 minutes!
I'm extra excited about this recipe! It uses a handful of everyday ingredients and tastes like it came from a restaurant. I love how cooking the chicken in the leftover bacon fat makes it super flavorful. Chicken breasts can often end up tasteless and overcooked, but the chicken really melts in your mouth in this recipe. I coat the chicken in flour to help it get that nice golden sear, and the flour also helps thicken the sauce up quickly (the chicken will stay nice and moist because the sauce won't be reducing for too long).
I love adding fresh tomatoes to cream sauces. It's a great way to brighten the sauce up a bit since this one has cream and bacon. And that sauce coats the penne perfectly...
This creamy garlic penne with chicken is great because it's fast to whip up on a work/school night but fancy enough for company.
Recipe notes & tips:
- I don't recommend substituting the heavy cream for something else (the acid from the tomato is likely to curdle something like milk or half-and-half).
- If necessary, you can replace the fresh tomato with the equivalent ounces of canned tomatoes (try petite diced ones).
- In any recipe, I always prefer to grate my own parmesan. Here's the awesome cheese grater I use.
- You don't have to use penne for this recipe, but I do like the way the sauce clings so those little tubes.
More tasty chicken recipes to try:
- Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta
- Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Feta Spinach Pasta
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe
Let me know if you've made this creamy chicken penne recipe! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.
Questions? Ask me in the comments below!
Chicken Penne Pasta
This chicken penne pasta recipe is easy to make and loaded with bacon, tender chicken breasts, and an amazing fresh tomato garlic parmesan cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 5 ounces tomatoes chopped small
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
Instructions
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Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut up the bacon (I use kitchen shears to make this job easy) and fry it in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Once it's done, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
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Meanwhile, prep your chicken. Cut it up and sprinkle it with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. Coat each piece in flour.
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Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes/side or until golden. You may need to work in two batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Turn the heat down a little if needed (like if it's splattering a lot). Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
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Stir in the garlic and chicken broth. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for about a minute or so.
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Add the cream and tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to lose their shape.
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Add the chicken and bacon back into the pan and let it warm through for a few minutes (let the sauce thicken a bit). Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Stir in the parmesan and toss with the drained pasta. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
Recipe Notes
- I used half of a 10 ounce container of little tomatoes (NatureSweet Cherubs) and cut them into quarters. You can use any tomato that looks good and just cut it up small (5 ounces is about the size of a medium tomato).
- I don't recommend subbing the cream for anything else because the acid from the tomato is likely to curdle something like milk or half-and-half.
David in Benicia says
We made this tonight. I felt it needed a bit more seasoning, maybe some fresh thyme and oregano with the garlic.
I like the idea about about the fire roasted tomatoes
Donna Disney says
Looks easy and very tasty
Natasha says
Thank you!
Nora says
Is there a video, just curious
Natasha says
Hi Nora! Not for this recipe - sorry!
Kia says
This was my first recipe I tried from your website. We just finished eating this for dinner. It was delicious and the first recipe that actually took the short time to cook that was stated on the recipe. I have a very picky family and they all cleared their bowls happily. I only had 3/4 cup of heavy cream left in my fridge so I added 2% milk to it. The sauce wasnβt as thick as if it was all heavy cream, but it wasnβt any less delicious or creamy. I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes in place of fresh and the charred tomatoes were the perfect addition. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for sharing.
Natasha says
Wonderful! I am so happy that it worked out, Kia!
Julie robbins says
I made it. Loved it. Can't wait to make again!!!
Natasha says
Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know, Julie! π
Simon Knox says
Another great recipe Natasha the whole family left nothing at all. Thanks ππ
Natasha says
Aww so happy to hear that, Simon! π
Susan Grupe says
Breast halves, I assume? I don't want to blow it...
Looks so good and I finally have all the "stuff."
Natasha says
Hi Susan! Yes, technically they are chicken breast halves because the whole breast is split into 2 pieces. Generally what you see in the store is packaged as "chicken breasts", and so most recipes just refer to the halves as "chicken breasts" even though it's not technically correct. I hope that makes sense haha. Hope you enjoy the recipe! π
Susan says
Often recipes will say one or the other. I wanted to check first. I spent several years cooking for a tv show, so I like to be sure. (The GM's wife let it be known if I wasn't properly specific.) Thank you for all your tasty sounding/looking recipes.
Natasha says
Yup makes sense βΊοΈ
K'Lann says
This was AMAZING! It is definitely a new favorite, and I will be making this again soon. It was so easy and delicious. I am pregnant and can't eat beef or marinara sauce (makes me sick). So I am very thankful to have found all of your different chicken and white sauce recipes! Thanks!
Natasha says
Yay! So glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting! So glad you found me. XO
Penny says
Made this tonight because I had all the ingredients on hand, it was PHENOMENAL (how could it not be with bacon and heavy whipping cream) my husband had 3 helpings!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it was a hit!! 3 helpings... that's awesome! Thanks for taking the time to comment. π
coco says
just made this with canned diced tomatoes because the grocery store was all out of the fresh stuff. just had to cook a little bit longer in the cream sauce but it turned out perfect!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you were able to make it work, Coco! XO
Anastasia says
I made this recipe yesterday for dinner. The leftovers are yummy and the fresh cooked meal is so good!
I didn't have heavy cream so made my own cream sauce from a roux (equal parts butter and flour) then added 2% gradually until I had enough sauce. Added cherry tomatoes and no curdling!
Thanks for the recipe!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it worked out with the roux!! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! π
Bart Schiavo says
Do you think this would come out ok without the bacon?
Natasha says
You'd have to replace the bacon fat with something like oil or butter. It really does add a lot of flavor but I think it could still be tasty. Let me know!
Bart Schiavo says
I made it tonight (without bacon) and used 2 tbsp of butter in lieu of the fat, it was absolutely delicious!!! Thanks π
Natasha says
So happy it worked out for you! π