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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.

creamy chicken penne with fresh tomatoes and bacon in a white bowl

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
ingredients for chicken penne pasta in prep bowls

Tools for this recipe

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How to make chicken penne pasta

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

sauteing bacon in a skillet and then cooking chicken bites

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.

making creamy garlic sauce with tomatoes for chicken pasta in a skillet

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.

tossing penne pasta in a skillet with creamy bacon chicken

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!
close-up of creamy chicken penne pasta

What to serve with chicken penne pasta

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.
creamy chicken penne pasta in two bowls

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.

creamy chicken penne with fresh tomatoes and bacon in a white bowl
4.77 from 39 votes

Chicken Penne Pasta

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!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Calories: 703kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 165mg, Sodium: 572mg, Potassium: 767mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1320IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.77 from 39 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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123 Comments

  1. Carla says:

    Made this tonight. OMGoodness! Itโ€™s so good!!

    1. Natasha says:

      Yay!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Julie Gerbrandt says:

    5 stars
    Very good!

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!

  3. Kathy says:

    5 stars
    Wow!!! Fantastic recipe. Quick and easy to prepare and soooo delicious. Every single member of my family of 5 LOVED it. Next time I will have to double it. Thank you for keeper.

    1. Natasha says:

      That’s great to hear!! ๐Ÿ™‚ You’re welcome!

  4. Tammy says:

    This was delicious

    1. Natasha says:

      So happy to hear that!

  5. Untitled says:

    I substituted the chicken with super-lean ground beef and the chicken broth with beef broth, it came out delicious. HOWEVER, this would have tasted way better had I stuck to the actual recipe with the chicken.

    1. Natasha says:

      Great! I’m glad you were able to make it work with what you had on hand, at least.

  6. Nile says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was amazing! I felt like I was eating at some fancy Italian restaurant! Iโ€™m a pretty good cook and there was a little more prep and multi tasking than Iโ€™m used to. I had my husband help me a bit. But the end product was so hearty and decadent. Seriously so good!!

    1. Natasha says:

      Aww I’m so happy you enjoyed it!

  7. Kim says:

    Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! My whole family loved it.

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re welcome! Glad you all enjoyed it! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Amy says:

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Love all of your recipes. They are simple to follow but have such amazing flavour!!

    1. Natasha says:

      So glad to hear that, Amy!! Thanks for taking the time to comment! XO

  9. Chris N says:

    4 stars
    Hi! Thank you for posting this recipe. I had most of the stuff on hand and decided to whip it up. I used tomato sauce in place of tomatoes because thatโ€™s all I had, and did use whole milk. There wasnโ€™t any curdling. Iโ€™ll definitely try it again with real tomatoes and heavy cream but my family loved it regardless! I think Iโ€™ll add in some tasty greens like spinach and some oregano too.
    Even my kiddo who doesnโ€™t like red sauce ate it so you know it must be good!
    Thanks!

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re welcome!! I’m glad it worked out with the substitutions! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Heather says:

    4 stars
    I made it tonight! I made a few minor adjustments. (ie.don’t eat pork, so i used turkey bacon) But, the end result was very tasty!

    1. Heather says:

      4 stars
      Oh! I was thinking it might be good with some spinach tossed into it with the parm cheese.

      1. Natasha says:

        Yes!

    2. Natasha says:

      Wonderful! ๐Ÿ™‚