Creamy Chicken Penne Pasta
Seared chicken, crispy bacon and penne in a Parmesan cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes. One skillet, 30 minutes, four generous bowls.
Creamy chicken penne pasta is a skillet dinner, not a baked casserole. Everything happens in one deep pan: bacon fries, chicken sears in the fat, spinach and tomatoes wilt down, then cream and Parmesan turn into the sauce the penne gets folded into.
The whole thing runs 30 minutes, and 15 of those are prep. That's the real constraint here. Get the penne boiling before you touch the skillet, because the sauce is ready fast and pasta that sits and cools turns gummy when it hits the cream.
One thing to know up front: this sauce is cream and Parmesan, so it breaks if you boil it hard. Bring it to a boil, then drop the heat the second it bubbles. That's the difference between velvety and grainy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Fry the bacon
Set a deep skillet over medium heat and fry the 4 bacon slices until crisp. Move them to a paper towel to drain, then chop them. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
2. Sear the chicken
Add the sliced chicken to the same skillet and season with salt, pepper, the 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon paprika. Cook until browned and no longer pink inside, reaching 165F (74C) on a thermometer.
3. Soften the garlic
Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don't let them brown.
4. Wilt the spinach and tomatoes
Stir in the 2 cups spinach and 4 diced tomatoes. Cook until the spinach collapses and the tomatoes start to soften, about 3 minutes.
5. Build the cream sauce
Pour in the 1 1/2 cups cream and add the 1 cup Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Bring it just to a boil, then lower the heat immediately and stir until the cheese melts smooth.
6. Fold in the penne
Add the cooked 10 oz penne and the chopped bacon. Toss until every piece is coated, then take the pan off the heat.
7. Plate and garnish
Serve with chopped parsley, extra Parmesan and more red pepper flakes if you want the heat.
Tips & Tricks
- Start the pasta water before anything else. The sauce is done in about the time penne takes to boil.
- Save a splash of pasta water. If the sauce tightens too much when you fold in the penne, a couple of tablespoons loosens it without thinning the flavor.
- Shred your own Parmesan. The starch on pre-shredded cheese is the most common reason a cream sauce turns grainy.
- Cook the penne a minute shy of al dente. It finishes in the hot sauce and soaks up flavor instead of going soft.
Delicious Variations
Sun-dried tomatoes
Swap the fresh tomatoes for a handful of chopped sun-dried ones. Sweeter, deeper, and less watery in the sauce.
Spicier
Take the red pepper flakes up to a full teaspoon, or add a diced jalapeno with the garlic.
No spinach
Leave it out and add a cup of frozen peas at the cream stage instead. They thaw in the hot sauce in about two minutes.
How to Store Creamy Chicken Penne Pasta
Refrigerator
Keep it in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Cream sauces thicken in the cold, so expect a solid block.
Freezer
Freezing is possible but the cream sauce will separate on thaw and the pasta goes soft. If you freeze it, do it within a day and accept a looser sauce later.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or milk, stirring often. Microwaving on high is what makes cream sauces break, so use 50 percent power and stir every 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know the chicken is cooked through?
Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of a slice. It should read 165F (74C). Color alone isn't a reliable test, especially once the chicken is coated in sauce.
Q: Why did my cream sauce turn grainy?
Either the cream boiled too hard or the Parmesan went in over high heat. Bring it just to a boil, then drop the heat before stirring in the cheese. Pre-shredded Parmesan makes it worse because of the anti-caking starch.
Q: Can I use half-and-half instead of cream?
You can, but keep the heat low and don't let it come to a rolling boil. Half-and-half has less fat and separates more easily. The sauce will also be thinner.
Q: How much penne is 10 oz?
A little over half of a standard 16-ounce box, or about 2 1/2 cups dry. That's roughly 4 cups cooked, which coats nicely for four servings.
Q: Can I make this ahead?
The sauce and chicken can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Cook the pasta fresh when you serve, though, because penne that sits in the sauce overnight soaks up all the cream.
Get the pasta water going first and the rest falls into place. Cook it once, cook it right.
Creamy Chicken Penne Pasta – 30-Minute One-Pan Dinner
Seared chicken, crispy bacon and penne in a Parmesan cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes. One skillet, 30 minutes, four generous bowls.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Fry the bacon — Set a deep skillet over medium heat and fry the 4 bacon slices until crisp. Move them to a paper towel to drain, then chop them. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
- 2Sear the chicken — Add the sliced chicken to the same skillet and season with salt, pepper, the 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon paprika. Cook until browned and no longer pink inside, reaching 165F (74C) on a thermometer.
- 3Soften the garlic — Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don't let them brown.
- 4Wilt the spinach and tomatoes — Stir in the 2 cups spinach and 4 diced tomatoes. Cook until the spinach collapses and the tomatoes start to soften, about 3 minutes.
- 5Build the cream sauce — Pour in the 1 1/2 cups cream and add the 1 cup Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Bring it just to a boil, then lower the heat immediately and stir until the cheese melts smooth.
- 6Fold in the penne — Add the cooked 10 oz penne and the chopped bacon. Toss until every piece is coated, then take the pan off the heat.
- 7Plate and garnish — Serve with chopped parsley, extra Parmesan and more red pepper flakes if you want the heat.
Food safety: Check the thickest part with a food thermometer. Poultry must reach 165°F (74°C); color alone is not reliable.
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.
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