Chicken Bacon Alfredo

Creamy homemade-style Alfredo with crispy bacon, seasoned chicken, and penne — a cozy one-skillet pasta dinner.

By Manny Michael

35 minutes

Dinner

Italian-American

Ingredients

• 4 pieces bacon
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
• Garlic and olive oil seasoning, to taste
• Blackening seasoning, to taste
• 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• Parsley, optional

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy.
3. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Add the penne pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.
5. Season both sides of the thin-sliced chicken with garlic and olive oil seasoning and blackening seasoning.
6. Cook the chicken in the bacon grease for a few minutes on each side, or until fully cooked.
7. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a cutting board.
8. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
9. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
10. Carefully remove most of the grease from the skillet, but leave the browned bits in the pan.
11. Add butter to the skillet.
12. Add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
13. Pour in the heavy cream. Stir and let it cook for about 1 minute.
14. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce is creamy.
15. Slice or chop the cooked chicken and add it back into the Alfredo sauce.
16. Add the cooked pasta and pour in the reserved pasta water.
17. Crumble the cooked bacon into the pan.
18. Mix everything together until the pasta is coated and everything is fully combined.
19. Let it cook for another 1 to 2 minutes so the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta.
20. Serve warm with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley on top.