Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta
An easy, creamy pasta recipe for two with seasoned chicken, bacon, and a creamy spinach sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Chicken Breast or chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 8 oz. cooked Pasta Noodles like spaghetti, linguine, or penne
- 2 strips Thick Cut Bacon
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Onion white or yellow
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper optional
- 1/4 cup Dry White Wine like Pinot Grigio
- 2 packed cups fresh Baby Spinach roughly chopped, large stems removed
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream or half & half
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tsp. fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Season the Chicken. Cut the chicken breast into small, bite-size pieces. Toss the chicken with a generous pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and Italian seasoning. Set aside. Note: let the chicken rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This lets the seasonings soak into it, and creates a more flavorful pasta dish.
- Boil the Pasta. While the chicken rests at room temperature, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente (usually about a minute less than the package instructions call for). Carefully reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the rest. Set the cooked pasta and the reserved water aside.
- Cook the Bacon + Chicken. Cut the bacon slices into 1/2″ pieces. Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon for a couple of minutes until the fat starts to render, then add the chicken pieces to the pan. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to 165 F, and the bacon pieces are crispy.
- Cook the Onion and Garlic. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken and bacon to a bowl, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Cover the bowl with foil to keep it warm. To the pan with the bacon fat, add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until softened and slightly browned, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the onions. . Stir minced garlic and crushed red pepper into the onions and cook for one minute.
- Add White Wine, Cream, and Spinach. Add the white wine to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is mostly absorbed into the onions. Stir the chopped spinach and heavy cream into the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the cream has thickened.
- Toss the Cooked Pasta, Chicken, and Bacon with the Sauce. Transfer the cooked pasta, chicken, and bacon into the pan with the creamy spinach sauce. Toss to coat the pasta, and to distribute the chicken and bacon evenly. Add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
- Season to Taste. Add the fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese to the pan, then toss the pasta until everything is evenly mixed. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.
Notes
*Long noodles work well for this recipe, like spaghetti, bucatini, or linguine. If you'd rather use a short noodle, I recommend penne or farfalle noodles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 31gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1476mgPotassium: 818mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3371IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 278mgIron: 3mg
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