Description
Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is a comforting and flavorful dish combining tender chicken breasts, crispy bacon, and a rich ranch-infused cream sauce tossed with your choice of penne or rotini pasta. This recipe features a perfect balance of savory seasonings, melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and a velvety sauce that coats every bite, making it an ideal family-friendly dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 slices bacon
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 package (1 ounce) ranch seasoning mix
Pasta & Liquids
- 1 pound pasta (penne or rotini)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
Oils & Cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil: Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat to prepare for cooking the chicken.
- Cook chicken breasts: Place the four boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and fully cooked through.
- Set chicken aside: Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.
- Cook bacon: In the same skillet, add the six slices of bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy, about 6-8 minutes.
- Drain and crumble bacon: Transfer the crispy bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat, then crumble it into small pieces.
- Add seasonings to drippings: Add garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper to the skillet, stirring the seasonings into the remaining bacon drippings.
- Cook pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente.
- Drain pasta: Drain the cooked pasta and set it aside.
- Cut chicken: Cut the cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces for easy mixing.
- Add chicken broth: Pour half a cup of chicken broth into the skillet with the seasonings and stir to combine.
- Add cream and ranch mix: Pour in one cup of heavy cream and the ranch seasoning mix, stirring until the sauce is smooth and fully combined.
- Simmer sauce: Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Add cheeses: Stir in shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Toss pasta in sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat it in the creamy sauce.
- Add chicken and bacon: Stir in the cut chicken pieces and crumbled bacon to combine evenly.
- Cook combined dish: Let everything cook together for an additional 2-3 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste the pasta and add more salt or pepper if desired.
- Serve: Serve the creamy chicken bacon ranch pasta hot, garnished with additional parsley or cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use penne or rotini pasta as preferred for best sauce clinging.
- Make sure chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Reserve some bacon drippings as they add flavor to the sauce.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with half-and-half for a lighter sauce, but it may be less thick.
- Feel free to add vegetables like spinach or mushrooms for variation.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
