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    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce

    By Julia | Updated: Mar 27, 2024 | Published: Feb 09, 2018 | 870 Comments

    2.9M shares
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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce -  an Italian-inspired dish with lots of vegetables!  Sliced chicken breast and bacon are tossed with veggies and penne pasta in a delicious, creamy, homemade Alfredo sauce made with Parmesan cheese.

    chicken bacon pasta with spinach tomatoes on a white plate

     

    Craving an easy-to-make comfort food that a whole family will love?  Then, make this chicken and bacon pasta! Cream sauce absorbs the wonderful flavors from the ingredients in the recipe, and with every single bite, you get all the goodness and all the flavors!  This is one of the best chicken pasta recipes you'll ever try!

    Cooking Tips:

    • Use thinly-sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloin meat.  Either cut of meat will work.
    • Use shredded Parmesan cheese. Do not use grated Parmesan cheese, use the shredded kind. What I usually do is buy a block of Parmesan cheese and shred it myself.  Freshly shredding the cheese results in the best sauce texture. You can, however, use store-bought pre-shredded Parmesan cheese.  Just do not use the grated kind.
    • You can use cooked spinach, frozen spinach, or fresh spinach. All will work.
    • Make this chicken pasta gluten-free. All you need to do is use gluten-free brown-rice penne pasta instead of regular penne. You can also use gluten-free quinoa pasta or lentil pasta.

    chicken bacon pasta with tomatoes, spinach in a stainless steel pan

    What is half-and-half?

    • You can use either heavy cream or half-and-half in this recipe.
    • Half-and-half is the US milk product that combines ½ whole milk + ½ heavy cream or whipping cream to form a lighter cream (unlike heavy cream).
    • Substitute ½ cup of milk + ½ cup of heavy cream for 1 cup of half-and-half.
    • If you live in the UK, half and half would be the equivalent of single cream. Alternatively, you can mix half double cream and half regular milk (if you live in the UK).

    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce in a white bowl

    How to cook pasta al dente

    • To cook pasta al dente (which literally means "to the tooth" or firm to bite), cook pasta about 2 minutes less than indicated on the package instructions.

    Do you rinse pasta?

    • If using gluten-free pasta, rinse it with cold water after cooking to prevent it from getting mushy.
    • If using regular, wheat pasta, do not rinse it with cold water. Rinsing pasta with cold water removes the starch which helps absorb the sauce.

    How to store and reheat leftover chicken pasta:

    • You can store this chicken pasta refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
    • Reheat the pasta gently on the stovetop on medium-low heat, without simmering.
    • Or microwave for 1 minute, checking for doneness every 30 seconds. Make sure the sauce does not overheat and separate.
    • Keep in mind that reheating the cream sauce on high heat will cause the cream to separate.
    • I do not recommend freezing this dish. If you freeze it, the creamy sauce might not have the same texture when you reheat it. It might separate.

    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce on a white plate

    Let's be honest.  Chicken pasta recipes can get boring and repetitive.   Not in this recipe! Here, you sear the chicken (with spices), then mix it with vegetables, bacon, and coat it in garlic cream sauce. So good!   This chicken and bacon pasta recipe is so easy to make and uses such basic ingredients, that you can easily make it on a regular busy weeknight!

    Deliciously creamy homemade alfredo sauce perfectly combines all the flavors in this chicken and bacon pasta: garlic, spinach, tomatoes, and lots of spices!  So tasty, you might want to double the recipe!

    How to make chicken pasta

    1) In a large skillet, on high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or tenderloins) and cook on one side on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes.

    2) While the chicken cooks sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika and Italian seasoning.

    3) Flip the chicken over, and cook on the other side for 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low-medium, flip the chicken over again and cook, covered, for several more minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep the chicken warm.

    cooked chicken in a stainless steel pan

    4) To the same pan (but without chicken), add heavy cream and bring to boil. Add shredded Parmesan cheese. Reduce to simmer (low-medium heat) and stir, while simmering, until the cheese melts and the sauce is creamy, for about 1 or 3 minutes.

    5) To the same pan with the creamy sauce, add chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper. Stir in the sauce on medium heat just until the spinach starts to wilt and sinks into the sauce. Add ⅓ of the cooked chicken (sliced into small strips) and half the bacon (already cooked and drained of fat). Mix everything.

    vegetables (tomatoes, spinach), bacon, and chicken in a stainless steel pan

    cream and cheese added to the vegetables, bacon, and chicken in stainless steel pan

    creamy tomato sauce with spices, bacon, chicken, and Parmesan cheese in stainless steel pan

    6) In the meantime, bring a large pan of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.

    7)  Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce.

    8) When ready to serve, top the pasta with the remaining half of bacon (already cooked and drained of fat) and the remaining ⅔ of the cooked chicken (sliced into thin strips).

    9) Sprinkle the pasta with finely shredded Parmesan cheese.

    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce in a stainless steel pan

    What to serve with the chicken pasta:

    A salad, of course!   I would serve a very simple and basic salad (that you don't even need a recipe for) with greens, such as simple spinach salad with parmesan and pine nuts or arugula salad with balsamic dressing.

    If you want a more sophisticated salad, I would serve this chicken pasta with a delicious cranberry spinach salad with cashews and goat cheese. I also highly recommend this amazing arugula salad with apples, cranberries, and pecans or tomato cucumber avocado salad with basil pesto.

    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce in a stainless steel pan

    Other Chicken Pasta Recipes:

    I love making chicken pasta recipes with a variety of ingredients, such as vegetables, bacon, or cream-based sauces.  Here are a few of my favorites:

    • Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken and Mozzarella
    • Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
    • Chicken Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Parmesan Cheese
    Chicken Pasta with Bacon, spinach, tomatoes
    4.73 from 917 votes

    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce

    Chicken pasta recipes can get boring.  Not this Italian-inspired recipe!  You'll fall in love with the flavors in this Chicken Pasta with Bacon, Spinach, and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce.  Easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love!  Sliced chicken breast and bacon are tossed with veggies and penne pasta in a delicious, creamy, homemade alfredo sauce made with Parmesan cheese.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories per serving 1149 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 lb chicken (skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins)
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)
    • salt to taste
    • 1.5 cups heavy cream
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
    • 5 tomatoes (medium, chopped in large cubes)
    • 3 cups fresh spinach or 1 cup cooked spinach
    • 5 garlic cloves minced
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
    • 6 bacon strips cooked, drained off fat, and chopped
    • 10 oz penne pasta (for gluten-free version, use gluten-free brown-rice penne)
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded, for serving
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions 

    • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook on one side on medium-high heat for 4 minutes. While it cooks, sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika, Italian seasoning, and salt. Flip the chicken over, and cook on the other side for 3 more minutes on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low-medium, flip chicken over again and cook, covered, for several minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from the pan and keep chicken warm.
    • To the same pan (but without chicken), add heavy cream and bring to boil. Only after the heavy cream starts boiling, add shredded Parmesan cheese. Immediately reduce to simmer (low-medium heat) and stir, while simmering, until the cheese melts and the sauce is creamy, for about 1 or 3 minutes.
    • To the same pan with the creamy sauce, add chopped tomatoes, fresh spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper. Stir in the sauce on medium heat just until the spinach starts to wilt and sinks into the sauce. Add ⅓ of the cooked chicken (sliced into small strips) and half the bacon (already cooked and drained of fat). Mix everything. Remove from heat.
    • In the meantime bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta, and cook according to instructions (usually 10 to 15 minutes). Drain the pasta.
    • Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and reheat on low heat. When ready to serve, top the pasta with the remaining half of bacon (cooked, drained of fat, chopped, gently reheated) and the remaining ⅔ of the cooked chicken (sliced into small strips, gently reheated). This is done for presentation purposes.
    • When serving, top the pasta with ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.

    Video

    Notes

    You can use either heavy cream or half-and-half.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    1149
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    77
    g
    118
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    35
    g
    219
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.2
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    9
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    28
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    225
    mg
    75
    %
    Sodium
     
    755
    mg
    33
    %
    Potassium
     
    1071
    mg
    31
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    65
    g
    22
    %
    Fiber
     
    5
    g
    21
    %
    Sugar
     
    9
    g
    10
    %
    Protein
     
    48
    g
    96
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    5361
    IU
    107
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    31
    mg
    38
    %
    Calcium
     
    438
    mg
    44
    %
    Iron
     
    4
    mg
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword bacon pasta, chicken pasta, creamy pasta
    « Prosciutto Pasta with Peas and Parmesan Cheese
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    2.9M shares
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Brandi

      January 05, 2023 at 9:47 pm

      Can I omit the Parm Cheese? What would be a good substitute for a family who does not eat cheese??

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 07, 2023 at 8:13 pm

        Brandi, just skip the cheese. Heavy cream should be enough to provide the sauce with the proper creaminess and texture.

        Reply
    2. Lois

      January 05, 2023 at 7:44 pm

      Absolutely delicious! Will make again.

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 07, 2023 at 8:15 pm

        Lois, so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Barb

      January 04, 2023 at 7:56 am

      Looks great but that is a lot of calories for one serving.

      Reply
      • kardaramie

        January 07, 2023 at 7:45 pm

        That's the calorie content for the entire recipe. You can tell that it applies to the whole dish as there is no serving size/number of servings per recipe listed.

        Reply
        • Julia

          January 07, 2023 at 10:08 pm

          Unfortunately, the calorie count is per 1 serving (there is a total of 4 servings).
          The calorie and nutrition info is only an estimate the accuracy is not guaranteed.

          Reply
        • Julia Y.

          January 11, 2023 at 7:11 pm

          I am somewhat confused. In the Nutritional Information box, it says "per serving". If this is the actual count or everything is high. 77 grams of fat to include 35 grams saturated fat! Woah! However, the reason this recipe tastes so good!

          Reply
          • Julia

            January 22, 2023 at 4:40 pm

            Julia, the nutritional info is per 1 serving. There are a total of 4 servings in this recipe.

            Reply
    4. Lori

      January 03, 2023 at 6:43 pm

      after cooking the chicken in the beginning steps and removing from pan, I put the garlic, chopped tomatoes added sundried tomatoes, and chopped zucchini to pan. Sauted then removed them. Then I continued with heavy cream (cutting cream with milk to reduce "some" fat). Once sauce thickened, I added back in the tomatoe mixture and the chicken. Melded flavors few minutes then added Chickpea pasta.
      DELISH!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 07, 2023 at 8:25 pm

        Lori, thank you for sharing this wonderful feedback! Love the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and zucchini! Chickpea pasta is a great choice!

        Reply
      • Gloria

        January 09, 2023 at 8:56 pm

        I just made this for dinner and it was amazing! I think next time I might cut some 2% milk with the cream and add a little more Parmesan. Other than that I think it’s perfect. Thank you for this great recipe.

        Reply
        • Julia

          January 22, 2023 at 4:57 pm

          Gloria, thank you so much for this glowing review! 🙂 If using 2% milk, I would add it only after you have made the creamy sauce with cheese. Slowly whisk the milk into the sauce as it simmers.

          Reply
    5. Victoria Gil

      December 24, 2022 at 1:55 am

      Hello, im going to make this tomorrow, can I use cherry tomatoes instead?

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 24, 2022 at 11:54 am

        Victoria, yes, cherry tomatoes would work great!

        Reply
    6. Kim

      December 08, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      can I use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes?

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 23, 2022 at 4:38 pm

        Kim, yes, sun-dried tomatoes would be so delicious here!

        Reply
    7. Le Ann

      October 26, 2022 at 9:55 pm

      This was excellent- I doubled the recipe but only 5 cups of penne, about 4 hands of spinach , 8-9 cloves garlic, about 1/2 a rotisserie chicken seasoned with hot papirika and the Italian seasoning originally called for and approx 1 tsp of basil. Was brave enough to serve it to company-they raved.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 6:15 pm

        Le Ann, I just love your comment! You are quite brave for serving a recipe you make for the first time to the company. I usually do 1 practice run. 🙂 Love that you used rotisserie chicken season with hot paprika and Italian seasoning - sounds delish!

        Reply
        • Candace

          December 06, 2022 at 7:10 pm

          My family & I LOVE this recipe! I actually just made it with the shrimp instead of chicken & I think it's just as amazing. This is 1 recipe that my picky husband & preschooler WILL eat so I try to make it at least once a month. That's enough time I've noticed that they don't get bored with repeating recipes, lol.

          Reply
          • Julia

            December 07, 2022 at 9:46 pm

            Candace, your comment really made my day! 🙂 I am so flattered you've made this recipe more than once or twice. 🙂 It's a huge compliment to me!

            Reply
      • Anne

        November 06, 2022 at 4:17 am

        Can I use another cheese as don’t like Parmesan

        Reply
        • Julia

          November 07, 2022 at 2:00 am

          Anne, you can also use Pecorino Romano, and Asiago cheese. Or, use pre-shredded Mozzarella (labeled as part-skim, low-moisture). Don't use fresh Mozzarella (softer cheese that is usually shaped as logs or balls). Enjoy!

          Reply
      • Pam McNulty

        December 07, 2022 at 8:56 pm

        This recipe is so delicious and really simple to make! There will definitely be a repeat performance at my house!

        Reply
        • Julia

          December 07, 2022 at 9:31 pm

          Pam, I am so glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment and the 5 stars! 🙂

          Reply
    8. Diane

      October 26, 2022 at 3:05 pm

      What a heavenly dish! Our family loves all ur recipes! I enjoy cooking again thanks to u and ur recipes are so detailed and very easy to follow. Thank u!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 26, 2022 at 7:16 pm

        Diane, I am so flattered by your comment - thank you! Glad you feel inspired to cook again and enjoy my recipes! 🙂 Happy Fall cooking!

        Reply
    9. Jean

      October 22, 2022 at 3:57 pm

      There wasn’t enough cream sauce. Had to leave pasta on side and add sauce to the pasta on a dish. How would I double the recipe without
      having to much spinach?

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 6:39 pm

        Jean, if you want to double the recipe without too much spinach, just double all the ingredients excluding the spinach.
        About the amount of sauce - you can "increase" the amount of sauce by thinning it out very carefully by gradually adding half-and-half and constantly stirring so that it doesn't get too thin.

        Reply
    10. Stacy

      October 12, 2022 at 10:11 am

      I have made this before and it’s delicious. My question is can I make this one day in advance with out the pasta added, will it heat up ok with out breaking the sauce?

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 28, 2022 at 9:07 pm

        Stacy, I wouldn't make it ahead. This kind of sauce is so hard to reheat - it separates, thickens, and just loses all its texture.

        Reply
    11. Emily

      September 25, 2022 at 8:39 pm

      When making my cream sauce, it looked a little curdled, like a little cottage cheese-like. What did I do wrong? I was using half and half.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 02, 2022 at 6:35 pm

        Emily, here are some troubleshooting tips:

        1) Use Parmesan cheese that you freshly grate/shred from a block of cheese. Make sure the cheese is at room temperature - that means you might have to microwave it briefly (without, obviously, melting it in the microwave). Just bring the cheese to room temperature before adding it to the sauce.

        2) Bring the sauce to a stable simmer (but not boil) - mix the sauce ingredients on a low simmer, slowly, and patiently. Do not boil the sauce - just simmer.

        Reply
    12. Tiffany

      September 21, 2022 at 6:51 pm

      This was really good! The only different thing I did was that I added a handful of chopped basil because I have so much growing right now. I'll definitely make this again.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 02, 2022 at 7:20 pm

        Tiffany, I am so happy you loved this recipe! Glad you stopped by and share your feedback and the 5-star review! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Tasha

      September 16, 2022 at 12:26 pm

      Would be great to have uk measurements as well - would love to try a few on here but a hassle to keep converting. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 02, 2022 at 8:01 pm

        Tasha, I have added metric measurements. Under the ingredients list, you will see 2 links: US Customery - Metric. Click on Metric to convert the amounts of the ingredients.

        Reply
    14. sharon butler

      September 11, 2022 at 9:29 am

      Fantastic, made this 3 times now, works everytime love it thanks

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 12, 2022 at 2:42 pm

        Sharon, so glad you've made it more than once! Thanks for sharing such a positive comment and the 5-star rating! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Krystal

      September 01, 2022 at 8:36 pm

      Hi, can I used drained diced tomatoes for this recipe?

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 03, 2022 at 4:24 pm

        Krystal, yes, you can.

        Reply
        • Kathy

          October 12, 2022 at 7:21 pm

          Approximately how many cups of chopped tomato or drained dicd tomato?

          Reply
          • Julia

            October 28, 2022 at 9:01 pm

            Kathy, I would use about 3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes or 2 cups of drained canned diced tomatoes.

            Reply
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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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