Description
Creamy ranch sauce covers tender pasta, crispy bacon, and juicy chicken for an easy weeknight dinner everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing mix
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook bacon in skillet on medium heat until crispy for 8-10 minutes, then take it out, drain, and chop into pieces.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then cook in bacon grease on medium-high heat until golden and done for 6-7 minutes.
- Boil salted water in big pot, add penne pasta, and cook until tender following box directions for 10-12 minutes, saving some pasta water.
- Turn heat to medium, add heavy cream and ranch mix to skillet with chicken, stirring until sauce thickens for 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in shredded cheddar until melted and smooth, making a creamy sauce that looks thick and coats everything really well.
- Add drained pasta and chopped bacon to skillet, mixing everything together until pasta is covered with sauce for 2 minutes.
- Add saved pasta water if needed, top with fresh parsley, and serve hot right away for the best taste.
Notes
- For best results, serve immediately.
- Adjust seasoning to your taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 685
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 1200mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 150mg