Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with crispy bacon, this chicken bacon ranch pasta will get your family running to the dinner table! Even better, it’s a one pot recipe where the pasta cooks with the sauce.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- ½ cup finely diced onion (1 small yellow onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth (more as needed)
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (penne, rotini, or shells work well)
- 1 packet (1 ounce) dry ranch seasoning mix (see note)
Optional add-ins
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (see note)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or chives (optional garnish)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Measure out heavy cream so it can come to room temperature. Set aside.1 cup heavy cream
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven (with lid available) over medium-high heat. Add the cut-up chicken, season with pepper, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove to a clean plate and set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Add the chopped bacon to the same pan and cook until crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- Add onion to the pan with the reserved bacon grease, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.½ cup finely diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- Pour in chicken broth. Add uncooked pasta and dry ranch seasoning mix. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.3 cups low sodium chicken broth, 8 ounces uncooked pasta, 1 packet (1 ounce) dry ranch seasoning mix
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Lower heat to medium-low, and stir in heavy cream. Return chicken and bacon to the skillet, stir well, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes, until heated through, and the sauce has thickened slightly. If you'd like to add cheese (see note), stir it in until melted.
- Cool for an additional 5 minutes, covered. Add optional garnish, if desired, and serve chicken pasta warm.
Notes
- Ranch seasoning: Look for ranch seasoning packets, such as Hidden Valley, in the salad dressing section of the store; if you prefer homemade, try my ranch seasoning mix (you'll need 3 tablespoons). Bottled ranch dressing cannot be substituted for the ranch seasoning mix.
- Salt: You may have noticed that salt isn't in the list of ingredients. Ranch seasoning can be salty, along with the bacon, and when I tested this recipe, I found that the pasta didn’t need any additional salt at all. I recommend tasting the pasta and adding salt if needed at the end of the cooking time.
- Make it cheesy: Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese OR ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese at the end of the cooking time, or serve it on the side.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 858kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1094mg | Potassium: 902mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
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