This Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta is comfort food at its absolute best. Crispy bacon, juicy chicken, and a silky parmesan cream sauce come together to make a dinner that feels indulgent but is completely weeknight friendly. Finished with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon, it’s rich, savoury, and impossible to stop eating.
Hi! This is one of my go to comfort pasta dishes, it's simple, cozy, and always a crowd pleaser. I’ve used chicken breast here, but thighs work beautifully too and are actually what I usually prefer.
Most of the time I use dried pasta for a sauce like this, but if you feel like making your own, you’re in the right place. My Easy Homemade Pasta Dough recipe is foolproof, and some Homemade Pappardelle would be perfect with this sauce. Don’t stress about the pasta shape, anything works here.
Main ingredients:
Pasta - Use any pasta you like. I used fettuccine because it’s what I had in the cupboard, but honestly, any pasta shape will work beautifully.
Chicken - I’ve used chicken breast here, but thighs work just as well and have a little more flavor. Cook the chicken however you prefer whether it be pan-fried, grilled or baked.
Bacon - I like streaky bacon and cut it into small pieces before frying so it turns crispy and adds flavor to the sauce.
Cream - Use what is available to you. In the U.S. use a heavy or whipping cream and you can always thin down with extra pasta water. We use single or light cream where I live.
Parmesan - Always grate your own. Pre-grated Parmesan contains additives and won’t melt smoothly. For best results, grate it very finely using a microplane or the star side of a box grater.
Lemon - Fresh lemon juice brightens the sauce and balances the richness. Keep the heat low and whisk it in quickly so it doesn’t curdle.
Parsley - Finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley adds freshness and lovely colour to the finished dish.
How to make creamy chicken and bacon pasta
The full ingredient list and method is in the recipe card below, this is just a visual overview to help. Cook your pasta in well salted boiling water.
Pan-frying the chicken
I use organic chicken breast so it is already quite thin. If your breast is really thick you might want to cut it in half horizontally so you get two flat pieces. You could also cut it up into bite size pieces and pan fry that way.
Pound the chicken down with a rolling pin into an even thickness. Dry with a paper towel.
Season well with salt and pepper on each side and dust with plain flour.
Fry over a medium-high heat for 2 mins each side or until cooked through.
Making the sauce
1. Fry the bacon until golden and set aside with a slotted spoon. I like to use the bacon fat to cook the chicken in after this.
2. To make the sauce, gently fry the garlic then add the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer over a low heat.
3. Add the parmesan cheese in two - three separate lots, letting it melt between each addition. Mix in lemon juice and black pepper.
4. Add the crispy bacon back in. Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water and let it thicken.
5. Add your cooked pasta in and let it gently bubble away for a couple of minutes.
6. Mix through the parsley and top with the cooked chicken and serve.
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Additions
This creamy chicken and bacon pasta sauce is a great base if you’d like to add extra vegetables or change things up. After removing the bacon you could pan fry any vegetables before adding the cream. Broccoli florets, green beans or sliced zucchini would be great options. My Creamy Bacon Pasta recipe is packed with vegetables if you want to check that out, it's a great recipe!
Expert tips
Use a large skillet.
Choose a pan big enough to hold both the sauce and the pasta at the end, it makes tossing everything together so much easier.
Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
It’s liquid gold for finishing any sauce. The starch helps everything come together and gives the sauce that glossy, restaurant style finish. (Check out my Guide to Cooking Pasta for more tips.)
Undercook your pasta slightly.
Take dried pasta off the boil about a minute earlier than the package instructions. Finishing it in the sauce lets it soak up flavour, thickens the sauce naturally, and guarantees perfectly al dente pasta.
Want the perfect amount of sauce?
Creamy sauces thicken quickly once off the heat, so you want it a touch looser in the pan, it will settle to the perfect texture by the time you serve.
Common questions
Yes, chicken thighs work really well here and stay extra juicy. Just make sure they’re cooked through before slicing or adding back to the sauce. I have a guide for cooking chicken thighs in my creamy chicken and mushroom pasta.
In New Zealand, we have single and double cream, I use single as it thickens nicely with the heat and cheese. In the U.S., use heavy or whipping cream. Avoid half-and-half, as it won’t thicken the same way.
The cream should only ever be at the most gentle simmer so keep your heat really low. When adding the lemon juice I whisk it in really quickly so it doesn't have the chance to curdle. You could always leave out the lemon juice or just squeeze over the finished dish.
I don't think creamy sauces re-heat particularly well that is why I mostly do my recipes for two. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 - 3 days though. It's not suitable to freeze.
Other recipes to try
If you loved this creamy chicken bacon pasta sauce then here are a few others to add to your list. I have so many pasta recipes so check out my full recipe section for a good browse.
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
Best Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
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Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
- 150 grams bacon chopped into small pieces
- 1 chicken breast Mine was 225g (use more if you like!)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ - 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped/minced
- ¾ cup heavy cream see notes
- 50 grams parmesan finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper finely ground
- ½ cup packed Italian parsley finely chopped
Instructions
Boil your pasta
- Cook your pasta in well salted boiling water, undercooking by 1 minute. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
Prepare the chicken
- Flatten the chicken breast to an even thickness (about 1-1.5cm), I do this by laying some plastic wrap over the top and hitting with a rolling pin. If your breast is too thick then you can cut it in half horizontally so you have two flat pieces or just into bite size pieces is fine too.
- Season the chicken well with salt and pepper on each side then dust each side with the flour.
Cook the bacon and chicken
- Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a fry pan and fry the bacon pieces until golden. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon so you can use the bacon fat to cook the chicken in.
- If you don't want to use the bacon fat then use 1 tablespoon of olive oil instead. Heat in a fry pan over a medium high heat and fry the chicken for 2 mins each side (or until cooked through if yours is thicker).
- Lightly wrap in foil and set aside.
Make the sauce
- Heat the butter over a medium heat and gently fry the garlic for a minute, it shouldn't brown at all so lower heat if you need.
- Pour in the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer (lower the heat if you need, it shouldn't be boiling).
- Add the parmesan in 2 or 3 separate lots, mixing and letting it melt in between each addition.
- Add the pepper and lemon juice and mix in quickly.
- Add the bacon back in to the sauce.
- Add ¼ cup of pasta water and let it gently simmer for a 2 - 3 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Add the cooked pasta, toss and let it gently bubble away for a minute or two. Add more pasta water if you need to loosen. It should be really saucy in the pan as it will dry up when taken off the heat.
- Mix the chopped parsley through.
- Slice the chicken then serve the pasta with the chicken pieces on top or tossed through.
- Little optional step is to finish the dish with some lemon zest and of course some extra parmesan if you wish.
Video
Notes
Hi, I'm Emilie
I've spent years testing pasta doughs, sauces, and weeknight favorites so you don't have to. Everything on The Burnt Butter Table is designed to be simple, comforting, and unbelievably delicious.
Paddy Ryan says
Surprised that rosemary worked but…it did!! Very good dish I made it 2 weeks in a row
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you enjoyed it Paddy! Thank you so much for making it and taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Camille says
I used chicken thighs chopped up and still the most delicious meal ever. Thank you.
Emilie Pullar says
Thank you so much for making it Camille! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Joanne says
This really is the best creamy chicken pasta ever. I made it 2 nights in a row.
I did feel a bit guilty about the fat content and wonder if there is a lower fat sauce ingredient that would work.
Highly recommend this recipe and will continue to make despite the guilt.
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Joanne! So glad you loved it! It is definitely on the indulgent side, I don't like food guilt haha you can balance it out with a healthier meal another night! You could try my garlic parmesan chicken pasta as an option, it does have butter not no bacon or cream so much lighter. Everything in moderation right?! Em 🙂
Brittany says
I think this might be the first time I’ve left a review on a recipe, because normally I have to tweak things to make it more flavorful. This was restaurant quality. The flavor and balance of it was incredible! Frying the chicken in the bacon fat provided some of the best chicken we’ve ever tasted. Thanks so much for this golden dish. I will be making often!
Emilie Pullar says
This made me so happy to read! So appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, means the world!
Sharon Mordasini says
So tasty! And simple to
prepare plus easy to adjust depending on how many you are cooking for, even « aole
mio »! ?
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much Sharon so glad you enjoyed!!