Chicken Bacon Zucchini Pasta with Cherry (or Grape) Tomatoes is a colorful dish that will be a joy to your eyes! This easy and delicious recipe is a well-balanced weeknight meal combining protein (chicken), vegetables (zucchini and tomatoes), and carbs (fettuccine). This pasta is then finished with basil pesto, freshly chopped basil leaves, and toasted pine nuts! And who doesn't love bacon?! It's a great family-friendly dinner that is easy to make and looks beautiful on a plate!
Well-balanced pasta dish
This delicious and colorful pasta was inspired by my popular recipe, chicken zucchini pasta with cherry tomatoes. Here, I added bacon, pine nuts, and used a different kind of pasta (fettuccine). The resulting dish is not your average pasta. It features lots of ingredients and combines veggies with pasta and protein in a tasty way that a whole family can enjoy! There is no heavy cream, no half-and-half. The ingredients are combined together with simple basil pesto (I used store-bought). If you like refreshing dinner recipes, you might also enjoy this chicken tomato spinach pasta.
What type of pasta to use
I used fettuccine pasta, as its wide strands are perfect for absorbing basil pesto sauce. You can also use spaghetti or bucatini. Angel hair pasta will work well, as well. You can even use spaghetti squash instead of pasta.
How to make chicken bacon zucchini pasta
Start by cooking sliced zucchini (use 2 medium-size zucchini) in a large skillet with olive oil and a pinch of salt until slightly browned and soft.
Then, remove the cooked zucchini to a bowl or a plate.
Add chicken tenders seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes in the same skillet, and cook with olive oil.
Cook the bacon and drain it from the fat.
Cook fettuccine according to the package instructions, and combine all ingredients together in the skillet: cooked fettuccine, cooked chicken tenders (sliced), cooked zucchini, sliced and cooked bacon, and cherry (or grape) tomatoes. I used 2 colors of tomatoes, yellow and red, and I sliced each tomato in half.
Finally, finish the pasta by adding basil pesto, chopped fresh basil leaves, and toasted pine nuts!
Cooking Tips
- Toast the pine nuts in the preheated oven at 350 F for only 5 minutes. Watch the oven carefully - the nuts can burn quickly. Toasted pine nuts acquire a beautiful color and crunch.
- Cook bacon in advance, drain it and chop it. I usually cook the bacon in the preheated oven at 350 F for 20 minutes, then lay it on paper towels to remove extra grease.
What to serve with chicken pesto pasta
- A slice of garlic bread or olive bread.
- A side salad, such as this simple spinach salad or arugula salad with pine nuts.
Other refreshing pasta recipes
If you like refreshing pasta dinners that feature no cream and have plenty of veggies, try these next:
- Italian Fusilli Pasta with Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Capers, and Garlic
- Italian Ravioli with Spinach, Artichokes, Capers, Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Basil Pesto Chicken Tortellini and Veggies (Asparagus and Tomatoes)
Chicken Bacon Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 zucchini (medium size) sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken tenders uncooked, sliced
- ¼ tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 8 oz fettuccine
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 5 oz red grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 5 oz yellow grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 8 strips bacon cooked and drained from fat
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- ⅓ cup pine nuts lightly toasted
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large high-sided skillet over medium-hot heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, sliced zucchini, sprinkle with salt, and cook, for about 5 minutes, flipping once, until the zucchini is soft and slightly browned. Remove zucchini from the skillet to a large bowl.
- To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken tenders. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, flipping chicken tenders a couple of times, until the chicken is slightly browned, cooked through, and no longer pink in the center. Remove the cooked chicken to the same bowl with zucchini and slice it into thin strips.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the fettuccine, and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain pasta.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet where you cooked chicken. Add basil pesto and stir. Add red and yellow grape (or cherry) tomatoes (each one sliced in half). Add chopped cooked bacon. Add cooked zucchini and sliced cooked chicken. Stir everything together, and reheat gently on low-medium heat.
- Taste and add extra basil pesto (if desired) and extra salt, if needed. Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh basil leaves and toasted pine nuts over the pasta in the skillet.
Notes
- Toast the pine nuts in the preheated oven at 350 F for only 5 minutes. Watch the oven carefully - the nuts can burn quickly. Toasted pine nuts acquire a beautiful color and crunch.
- Cook bacon in advance, drain it and chop it. I usually cook the bacon in the preheated oven at 350 F for 20 minutes, then lay it on paper towels to remove extra grease.
Nutrition
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.
I rarely leave reviews. Usually because I make so many changes, I don't think it makes sense to review after totally revamping the recipe. This recipe, however, I made almost exactly as written. The only change I made was to omit the olive oil. I cooked the bacon first, drained off most of the fat, then cooked the zucchini and chicken in the the remaining bacon grease. It was delicious!! Thank you!
Dawn, your comment really made my day! I am glad you tried this recipe and loved it! And thank you for taking the time to share such kind words - it's really important for food bloggers to read comments like yours. 🙂
Hi Julia. I would love to make this recipe, it looks delicious.
How do you make the basil pesto?
Thank you!
Maria, I used a store-bought basil pesto that has a perfect, mild flavor - I prefer to use the Buitoni brand.
If you're looking for a homemade pesto made from scratch, here is a good recipe: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/
I've made this before and it's really good. Do you think I can make this with shrimp?
Yes, shrimp will work great here!
I’ve been looking for a good recipe to use the leftover zucchini I’ve got and found this one. Zucchini and bacon always go really good together. Great combination! Thank you for the recipe.
Yes, this is a great recipe to use zucchini! Glad you enjoyed it!
I love these recipes. Thanks for sharing.
You're very welcome! 🙂