Easy Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon - made with creamy alfredo sauce! This simple recipe is packed with protein and veggies!
There are so many ways to combine chicken and pasta. One of my most favorite recipes ever is sun-dried tomato chicken pasta. I am also partial to chicken and bacon pasta with tomatoes and spinach. Chicken, veggies, pasta and cream sauce are always an excellent combination.
This pasta dish has all of my favorite ingredients: creamy broccoli, bacon, and chicken breast. Everything is combined together in a delicious creamy Parmesan sauce.
Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon
- Moist and juicy chicken. This Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon is one of the best ways to cook chicken breast! The chicken breast is flavorful and juicy as it is smothered in a silky creamy sauce that keeps it moist and tender. You will never want to eat a boring chicken breast after cooking it this way. Your family will love it!
- Perfect for leftover cooked chicken. This is also a great recipe for using any leftover cooked chicken that you might have in your fridge. Just combine it with broccoli, pasta and the creamy sauce, and your dinner is ready!
- Creamy alfredo sauce. Chicken broccoli pasta is tossed in a creamy sauce made with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. The sauce is super easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients.
- Protein and veggies. I personally prefer to add more stuff to just plain creamy pasta. That's why this recipe is loaded with seared chicken breast, broccoli, and cooked bacon. This is a great recipe for those who want protein (chicken) and veggies in their dinner.
FAQ
- What pasta can I use in this recipe? Use any type of long pasta. You can use fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguine.
- What is fettuccini? Fettuccine is a type of pasta that is long, flat, and wide. It's very popular in Italy, and in the US, too.
- What is a good substitute for broccoli in pasta? If you don't have broccoli, you can use asparagus or spinach.
Ingredients you will need:
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- garlic
- heavy cream
- milk
- Parmesan cheese shredded
- fettuccine pasta (for a gluten-free version, use gluten-free brown rice fettuccine)
- boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- broccoli
- bacon
How to make Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon
- First, cook the chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper in a large skillet on medium heat. You can also use leftover cooked chicken. Slice the chicken into thin slices.
- Next, in the same skillet make the cream sauce. Add minced garlic with heavy cream and milk. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Stir in the cheese. Keep stirring until it completely melts into a creamy sauce.
- Then, cook the pasta according to instructions. Drain.
- Finally, combine everything together: cooked pasta, cooked bacon, broccoli, and cream sauce. Mix.
- Season with salt and pepper. Top with sliced cooked chicken.
Side dishes
- Baguette
- Italian garlic bread
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cashews and Goat Cheese
- Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Toasted Almonds
- Beet Salad with Spinach
More Chicken Broccoli Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- Chicken Broccoli Spaghetti with Golden Mushroom Sauce
Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon
Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon is an easy dinner that a whole family will love! Great recipe for those who want protein (chicken) and veggies in their creamy pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless and skinless
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅔ cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cups milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta (for gluten free version, use gluten free brown rice fettuccine)
- 2 cups broccoli florets , blanched
- 7 strips bacon
Instructions
- Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the skillet.
- Cook chicken breast on high heat for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove the skillet from heat and keep the chicken covered. The chicken will continue cooking in its own steam until no longer pink. Remove chicken from the skillet. You can also use pre-cooked chicken. Cut chicken into thin slices.
- Add minced garlic to the same (now empty) skillet, with oils and bits left from cooking the chicken.
- Add heavy cream, milk, bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Add cheese and stir till it completely melts into a creamy sauce.
- Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain.
- Add cooked pasta, cooked bacon, cooked broccoli to the creamy sauce and mix everything in.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with sliced cooked chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Bacon
Amount per Serving
Calories
809
% Daily Value*
Fat
45
g
69
%
Saturated Fat
20
g
125
%
Cholesterol
173
mg
58
%
Sodium
983
mg
43
%
Potassium
881
mg
25
%
Carbohydrates
50
g
17
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
48
g
96
%
Vitamin A
1175
IU
24
%
Vitamin C
42.9
mg
52
%
Calcium
411
mg
41
%
Iron
1.9
mg
11
%
* 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.
Hello Julia…Can You Shrimp & Tomato Or Would That Be Too Much ?
Kiari, no, that would not be too much. I love adding extra ingredients to my recipes, too. I would recommend adding shrimp and sun-dried tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes.
I made this tonight it was good, next time I’ll make more sauce.
Cindy, I am so glad you enjoyed this dish! ❤️ The more sauce the better!
Made it tonight. Double milk and cream. double asparagus. Parm at room temp. Delicious. Definitely going in my monthly dinners.
I made this last night and my entire family LOVED it! To speed up the prep, I used chicken breasts that my husband cooked on the grill the night before. I also used an entire 12-ounce bag of broccoli florets (4 cups) because we really like broccoli. I will definitely make this again soon!
The Parmesan cheese never really mixed in with the milk and cream for me so I had blobs of cheese instead of a creamy sauce. I guess it might have been from using blocks instead of shredded cheese.
For me, I think there should be more broccoli than two cups of broccoli because the noodles at 8 oz still almost overpowered everything else. Maybe 3 cups because for me I wish there was a little bit more broccoli.
It was still really good but it also makes a lot of dishes and takes a lot of time to cook everything.
Josh, thank you for this helpful feedback! Next time, you can try using heavy cream only (no milk) and make sure the Parmesan is at room temperature. Shred it in advance and keep it out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes. That should help with the creaminess of the sauce.
And, yes, the more veggies the better! If I made this again, I would use more broccoli, too.
I made this and doubled the sauce! Definitely do double milk and heavy cream. Will be making again for sure
Kathie, thank you for your feedback and the 5-star review! 🙂
I just made this using leftover chicken instead of blanching the broccoli I sautéed it in the bacon grease (I know that’s bad but so yummy! ) It is delicious!
Lynn, I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed! 🙂 It's a great way to use leftover chicken and give it extra flavor!