Chicken Penne Pasta
This creamy chicken penne pasta recipe is easy to make and has bacon, tender chicken, and an irresistible fresh tomato, garlic, and parmesan sauce. It's ready in just 30 minutes!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
- 4 strips bacon
- 2 chicken breasts
- 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, see note
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces (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, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and sprinkle it with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. Coat each piece in flour.
- In the same skillet, 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 crowd the pan. If needed, add a splash of olive oil to the second batch. Turn the heat down a little if needed (like if it's splattering a lot). Take the chicken out of the pan and transfer it to a plate.
- Stir in the garlic and chicken broth. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for about a minute or so.
- Add the cream and tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to lose their shape.
- 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.
Notes
- I used a Roma tomato that weighed around 5 oz. You can use grape/cherry tomatoes and cut them up if you prefer.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1320IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 2mg