Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta

This loaded chicken bacon spinach pasta dish is tossed in a thick and creamy garlic Parmesan  sauce. It’s a perfect blend of flavors that will make you think you’re eating at a restaurant! 

“This tastes like it’s from a restaurant.” Ahhh…music to my food blogging ears. Thank you hubby. He doesn’t lie either. In fact, he’s brutally honest about my recipes. But this one, is undoubtedly a keeper. The fresh tomatoes and spinach pair perfectly together, and I never met a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce that I didn’t like, the chicken gives this pasta dish the protein that it needs, and finally, the bacon. Who can really say no to a loaded pasta dish that’s topped with crispy bacon? I really don’t think that anyone could. 

I personally love to prepare this meal in a cast iron skillet. Searing the chicken in a cast iron skillet helps set the tone for the rest of the meal by giving the pan a ton of delicious flavor that you later use to cook the sauce in. It’s part of what makes this pasta dish so incredibly flavorful.

Of course you can also use any kind of pasta that you want for this meal, my husband just happens to be a penne kinda guy. Penne is also ideal for chunky and meaty dishes like this one. It’s easy to grab a nice big forkful that includes a little taste of everything.

Penne vs. Penne Rigate:
The main difference between these two types of penne pastas is that penne rigate has ridges, and those ridges really help to lock-in flavor, which makes it ideal of creamy sauces such as this.

Feel free to experiment with the flavors on this one, perhaps substituting that spinach for kale, or the chicken for ground turkey or sausage! 😉

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my Tortellini Al Forno!

Okay, last thing! You should probably join my free recipe email list! You’ll get a weekly email with my brand new recipes. And follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. (Don’t make this be our last goodbye!)

Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta

Prep Time 20 mins      Cook Time  20 mins      Total Time  40 mins

Perfectly seared chicken served over pasta that's smothered in a garlic Parmesan cream sauce with spinach and bacon!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken bacon pasta, chicken pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 688 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning a combo of thyme, oregano, & basil
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 4 bacon strips
• 10 oz. penne pasta

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

• 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 + 1/3 cups half and half
• 1 + 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese shredded
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 cups spinach uncooked

Instructions

1. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat.
2. Butterfly the chicken breast to create 2 thinner slices, each about an inch thick. Season each side generously with Italian seasoning and desired amounts of salt and pepper.
3. Sear the chicken in the hot skillet on each side. Refrain from moving the chicken around as it sizzles, it will hinder the nice golden sear color. If the pan gets too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Each side will take 3-5 minutes. Once each side is a nice, golden brown and the middle is cooked, set the chicken aside.

Read Full Recipe Here :  Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta

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