Chicken and Bacon Pasta
Pasta shells coated in creamy Parmesan sauce flavoured with bacon, then topped with pan fried chicken breast.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into half lengthwise
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsbp olive oil
- 3 strips of bacon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 500ml/2cups double/heavy cream see notes for non dairy substitute
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3-4 leaves fresh basil,sliced or ¼ tsp dried basil
- 50g/1/2cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- 1 lbs pasta shells or any other short pasta
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Cut each chicken breast lengthwise to create four thin cutlets. Season with salt and pepper. Pan fry in olive oil for 5 minutes on each side over medium heat until golden on the outside and cooked all the way through. Remove to a separate plate and keep warm.
- To the same pan add chopped bacon and cook until the fat is rendered, discards all fat but 1 tbsp. Add minced garlic and cook briefly for 30 seconds, do not allow the garlic to burn, add the cream, tomato paste, sliced basil and bring to a boil, lower the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, let it simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened. Add salt to taste. Cover with a lid and take it off the heat.
- Drain the cooked pasta and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Add the pasta directly to the sauce and gently toss until it's coated with the sauce, add some pasta water until the sauce is desired consistency. Slice the chicken breasts and top the pasta. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan and sliced fresh basil.
Notes
Dairy Free Version
- Use Soya Single Cream as a dairy free substitute.
- Plant based Parmesan will also work in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 735kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 32gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 739mgPotassium: 565mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1367IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 1mg
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