This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This creamy chicken penne pasta recipe is easy to make and has bacon, tender chicken, and an irresistible fresh tomato, garlic, and parmesan sauce. It’s ready in just 30 minutes!
You may also enjoy my Chicken Pesto Pasta or this Creamy Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta next.
Why you’ll love it
I’m excited about this easy chicken pasta recipe! It uses a handful of everyday ingredients and tastes like it came from a restaurant. We’ve got crispy bacon, melt-in-your-mouth chicken, and a fancy-tasting sauce that couldn’t be simpler to make at home.
Let’s talk about that irresistible sauce that has very few ingredients. This creamy garlic pasta sauce is brightened up with fresh tomatoes, and melting in parmesan makes it ultra decadent. It perfectly coats the penne for a lot of delicious savory flavor in every bite.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I use penne since it captures the sauce really well
- Bacon – it adds so much flavor, and cooking the chicken in the leftover grease makes it so delicious
- Chicken breasts – we’re using boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, it infuses flavor right into the chicken
- Flour – to get that golden crust on the chicken and thicken up the sauce
- Garlic – for even more garlicky flavor
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce decadent, silky, and get the best texture
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes add a pop of freshness
- Parmesan – for a delicate cheesy finish
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- In any recipe, I always prefer to grate my own parmesan for best taste and texture. Here’s the cheese grater I use for this one.
- This is the cast iron skillet I use.
- These are my favorite angled measuring cups.
How to make chicken penne pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, in a skillet, fry the cut-up bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Season the chicken pieces with garlic powder and salt & pepper, then coat in flour.
Sauté the chicken in the bacon fat until golden. Transfer to a plate. To the skillet, stir in the garlic and chicken broth. Scrape up the browned bits, and cook for a minute. Add the cream and tomatoes.
Cook until the tomatoes are softened. Return the bacon and chicken to the skillet, and warm through while the sauce thickens up. Stir in the parmesan, toss with the drained pasta, and season with salt & pepper.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend substituting the heavy cream for something else. The acid from the tomatoes is likely to curdle something like milk or half-and-half, and it won’t taste as intended either.
- If necessary, you can replace the fresh tomato with the equivalent ounces of canned tomatoes (try petite diced ones).
- You don’t have to use penne for this recipe, but I do like the way the sauce clings to those little tubes!
What to serve with chicken penne pasta
- A slice of fresh crusty bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping is my favorite pairing. Or try my Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- For a salad, try any of my favorite homemade dressings: Ranch Dressing, Italian Dressing, or Caesar Dressing. None of them need a blender/food processor to make!
Leftovers and storage
- This penne with chicken pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through, adding in a splash of cream or broth if needed to revive leftovers.
- I don’t recommend freezing creamy sauces.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this creamy chicken penne recipe! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations. Questions? Ask away.
Chicken Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
- 4 strips bacon
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 5 ounces tomatoes chopped small, see note
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces (I use kitchen shears to make this job easy) and fry it in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Once it's done, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and sprinkle it with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. Coat each piece in flour.
- In the same skillet, cook the chicken over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes/side or until golden. You may need to work in two batches so as not to crowd the pan. If needed, add a splash of olive oil to the second batch. Turn the heat down a little if needed (like if it's splattering a lot). Take the chicken out of the pan and transfer it to a plate.
- Stir in the garlic and chicken broth. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for about a minute or so.
- Add the cream and tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to lose their shape.
- Add the chicken and bacon back into the pan and let it warm through for a few minutes (let the sauce thicken a bit). Be careful not to overcook the chicken.
- Stir in the parmesan and toss with the drained pasta. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- I used a Roma tomato that weighed around 5 oz. You can use grape/cherry tomatoes and cut them up if you prefer.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for anything else because the acid from the tomato is likely to curdle something like milk or half-and-half.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
We made this tonight. I felt it needed a bit more seasoning, maybe some fresh thyme and oregano with the garlic.
I like the idea about about the fire roasted tomatoes
Looks easy and very tasty
Thank you!
Is there a video, just curious
Hi Nora! Not for this recipe – sorry!
This was my first recipe I tried from your website. We just finished eating this for dinner. It was delicious and the first recipe that actually took the short time to cook that was stated on the recipe. I have a very picky family and they all cleared their bowls happily. I only had 3/4 cup of heavy cream left in my fridge so I added 2% milk to it. The sauce wasn’t as thick as if it was all heavy cream, but it wasn’t any less delicious or creamy. I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes in place of fresh and the charred tomatoes were the perfect addition. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful! I am so happy that it worked out, Kia!
I made it. Loved it. Can’t wait to make again!!!
Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know, Julie! 🙂
What do you class as chicken broth? Is it a tin of chicken soup or something separate to make up before. Thanks debbie
Hi! It’s just a can or carton (I buy them in the big 32 oz size) labeled as “chicken broth”. It’s similar to chicken stock. You can use chicken stock instead if you prefer (or make a homemade version). They’re typically sold in the same aisle as the canned soups. Hope this helps!
Another great recipe Natasha the whole family left nothing at all. Thanks 🙏😋
Aww so happy to hear that, Simon! 🙂
Breast halves, I assume? I don’t want to blow it…
Looks so good and I finally have all the “stuff.”
Hi Susan! Yes, technically they are chicken breast halves because the whole breast is split into 2 pieces. Generally what you see in the store is packaged as “chicken breasts”, and so most recipes just refer to the halves as “chicken breasts” even though it’s not technically correct. I hope that makes sense haha. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Often recipes will say one or the other. I wanted to check first. I spent several years cooking for a tv show, so I like to be sure. (The GM’s wife let it be known if I wasn’t properly specific.) Thank you for all your tasty sounding/looking recipes.
Yup makes sense ☺️
This was AMAZING! It is definitely a new favorite, and I will be making this again soon. It was so easy and delicious. I am pregnant and can’t eat beef or marinara sauce (makes me sick). So I am very thankful to have found all of your different chicken and white sauce recipes! Thanks!
Yay! So glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting! So glad you found me. XO
Made this tonight because I had all the ingredients on hand, it was PHENOMENAL (how could it not be with bacon and heavy whipping cream) my husband had 3 helpings!
I’m so glad it was a hit!! 3 helpings… that’s awesome! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
just made this with canned diced tomatoes because the grocery store was all out of the fresh stuff. just had to cook a little bit longer in the cream sauce but it turned out perfect!
I’m so glad you were able to make it work, Coco! XO
I made this recipe yesterday for dinner. The leftovers are yummy and the fresh cooked meal is so good!
I didn’t have heavy cream so made my own cream sauce from a roux (equal parts butter and flour) then added 2% gradually until I had enough sauce. Added cherry tomatoes and no curdling!
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad it worked out with the roux!! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! 🙂
Do you think this would come out ok without the bacon?
You’d have to replace the bacon fat with something like oil or butter. It really does add a lot of flavor but I think it could still be tasty. Let me know!
I made it tonight (without bacon) and used 2 tbsp of butter in lieu of the fat, it was absolutely delicious!!! Thanks 🙂
So happy it worked out for you! 🙂