Description
A comforting and creamy chicken pasta dish featuring crispy bacon, tender spinach, and a rich sauce made with chicken broth and heavy cream. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner that comes together quickly in one skillet.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat & Poultry
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
Produce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Dairy
- 1 cup heavy cream
Pantry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups uncooked penne pasta (or any short pasta)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Bacon: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chopped bacon until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Sauté the Chicken: In the same skillet with bacon drippings, season the diced chicken breast with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Add Broth: Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.
- Cook the Pasta: Stir in the uncooked pasta along with paprika and dried Italian herbs. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook according to the pasta package instructions, typically about 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and most of the broth is absorbed.
- Add Cream, Chicken, and Spinach: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, cooked chicken, and chopped spinach. Cook gently until the spinach wilts and everything is well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Finish with Bacon: Mix in the reserved crispy bacon pieces just before serving to retain their crunch and flavor.
Notes
- You can substitute penne pasta with other short pasta shapes like rigatoni or fusilli.
- For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- To make it gluten-free, substitute regular pasta with gluten-free pasta.
- Fresh spinach can be replaced with kale or Swiss chard for a different flavor profile.
- Ensure you cook the pasta completely in the broth to absorb maximum flavor.
