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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.
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.
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Our new favourite pasta😍 made it last week and I’m making it again today!
Fantastic!! 😀 Thanks for letting me know!
Could you do this in the crockpot?
Hi! I’m not really sure how… like searing the chicken adds lots of flavor, and it’s a really quick cream sauce with fresh tomatoes… I feel the slow cooking would just destroy it.
Thanks for answering!!
You are welcome!
This is SO good! Thank you so much for this recipe! We added some mushrooms and basil because we had it but I loved the tip of hand grated Parmesan. I think it added such a nice touch!
You’re very welcome!! 🙂
ALWAYS hand grated parm in cooking!!!
Very good. After reading comments and considering my own dietary concerns. After cooking the bacon. I dumped the bacon grease to cook the chicken in a bit of garlic flavored olive oil. I also browned sliced baby Bella mushrooms. I added some chopped sun dried tomatoes with the sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley and basil. I’ll definitely make this again.
I’m glad you were able to adapt it, Liz! 🙂
My whole family loved loved loved this recipe. Super easy to make. I added a bit more cheese (because we love cheese!) I highly recommend trying this recipe.
That’s great to hear. Thanks so much, Lucy! 😀
Can I fry chicken in bacon grease ? It makes the sauce dark , but taste fine
I’m not really sure what you’re asking. The recipe says to fry the chicken in the bacon grease (you fry the bacon, take it out of the pan, leave the grease in the pan, and then cook the chicken in it).
This chicken bacon pasta had no flavor. I would have used spaghetti sauce if I had it. More than enough for a family of 4 adults.
Did you add enough salt? Cream sauces will always end up bland if you don’t. This recipe has quite a few great reviews, and I didn’t find it bland either.
This is my favorite dish of all time. Ive made it over a dozen times now and my husband loves it too. I could eat it every day. (Also in case anyone is wondering, have been successful in substituting the cream for half and half every time with no curdling)
That makes me so happy!! 🙂
This was delicious!! My new favourite pasta dish! Thank you thank you thank you 🙂
Wonderful! You’re welcome!
Would this work with fat free sour cream instead of heavy cream? Too much fat for our family.
Hi! Honestly, I don’t recommend it. It’ll turn it into a different recipe, and there’s a good chance the sour cream will curdle. If you’re confident at altering sauces and have done similar before, then you could give it a try, but I’m not sure how well it’ll work.