Smoky Chicken Pasta with Cream Sauce
One pan (plus a pot for the pasta 😉), tons of flavor, and a little spice make this an easy and satisfying dinner everyone will love.
A complete meal in one (maybe add a salad), this is super affordable but tastes like a restaurant dinner.
Smoky Chicken Pasta {Firebird’s Chicken Pasta}
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked penne pasta
- 1 pound chicken breast tenderloins or pounded thin
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 1¼ cups chicken broth divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
To serve
- Shredded parmesan
- Chopped parsley or basil optional
- Diced red onion or tomato optionl
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Instructions
- Cook the bacon. In a very large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels, crumble and set aside. Dispose of most of the bacon grease, but do not clean the pan.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the pan over medium-high and cook the chicken breast 3 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest while you prepare the sauce. (This is a good time to start cooking the penne.)
- Cook the veggies and spices. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in the same large skillet.. Add the salt, sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne, and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent and softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
- Add liquids. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, scraping the pan to incorporate all the seasonings. Add the cream and milk and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce reduces slightly. (Meanwhile, slice the cooked chicken)
- Thicken sauce. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth with the flour and add to the sauce to thicken it. Add the grated parmesan. Simmer over low heat while stirring until cheese is melted.
- Assemble and serve. Pour the cooked pasta into the sauce, stir, and add the bacon, cooked chicken, additional parmesan and any herbs or fresh veggies you’d like. . Serve immediately.
Notes
🧂 about the Ingredients
You’ll need the following for this simple + yummy dinner:
- olive oil
- salt
- sugar
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- chopped shallot
- chicken broth divided
- heavy cream
- milk
- flour
- grated Parmesan
- large saute pan or stock pot
🥫 Storage instructions
Store any leftover pasta in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan with a little additional milk or chicken broth. It won’t be perfect, but it will still be good.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Do not overcook your pasta. It is ok if the pasta is on the firm side as it will continue to cook a little if added to the sauce.
- For this recipe, it’s helpful to have everything pre-measured and chopped since it will move fast.
- Use a pan that is large enough to hold all the sauce plus all the cooked pasta. I like a wide, deep sauté pan, but a large saucepan will work as well.
📘 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve it with
Any green salad will work well on the side of this meal
And of course, you must serve bread! This soft Italian bread recipe would be perfect.
An easy, creamy dessert like vanilla cream pie is just the right balance.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.