Luxuriously creamy chicken bacon ranch pasta is loaded with cream, cheese, tangy ranch dressing, well-seasoned chicken and BACON. With very little prep work, make the most indulgent pasta that is packed with amazing flavors.
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Chicken bacon ranch pasta
Ingredients needed
Here’s what you’ll need-
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 slices bacon
- 1 lb pasta (use any pasta)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
- 2 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning mix
- Salt & pepper – as needed
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Ingredients notes
Chicken – use boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized cubes. You can use leftover chicken like rotisserie chicken chopped into pieces too to save time.
Seasoning for chicken – if you make it from scratch like me you need to season chicken well. Say no to boring bland chicken. Onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to start with is great. Stick to just these spices if you don’t want to change the color of chicken too much. Or feel free to include other seasoning spices like smoked paprika, cumin or red chili flakes too.
Bacon – everything tastes better with bacon. Slice up slightly frozen bacon into chunks before frying.
Pasta – the main ingredient. You can use any pasta penne, fussili, fettucine or any pasta will do.
For white cream sauce – butter, onion, garlic, heavy cream, dry ranch dressing mix and cheese. Use fresh grated Parmesan and sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated cheese is better as it melts better
Parsley – for garnish.
Ingredients additions & substitutions
Whole milk or half and half can be used instead of heavy cream.
Left over chicken or rotisserie chicken (homemade or store bought) works for this recipe if you don’t want to make everything from scratch.
Add smoked sausage for extra taste.
Use mixed vegetables like sliced mushroom, peas, corn, carrots or boiled broccoli to pasta.
How to make creamy chicken bacon ranch pasta
Season cubed chicken with Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Let it rest.
Chop bacon into chunks and cook in skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Scoop out crispy bacon bits onto a bowl using slotted spatula leaving the bacon drippings in the skillet.
Sear seasoned chicken in bacon fat leftover in skillet. Sear cook chicken in medium heat until it begins to brown and cooked.
Remove cooked chicken onto another bowl.
Optional step – wipe pan with kitchen towel to keep the sauce clean and white, if you don’t want bacony rich pasta.
Melt butter in the same skillet. Saute finely diced onion and minced garlic in melted butter.
Add heavy cream into the skillet. Add dry ranch seasoning mix, salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile boil water in large pot. Add salt.
Add pasta and cook until al-dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Pour little pasta water to the sauce to adjust the consistency.
Give it good stir. Allow cream to heat through, do not let it boil.
Add freshly shredded Parmesan and white sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce. Stir and cook on low flame until cheese melts.
Add seared chicken, cooked pasta to the sauce. Give it a mix.
Finally add crispy bacon and parsley for garnish
Serve immediately hot.
Best tips
- Cook pasta al-dente.
- Just before you drain pasta, reserve a mug of pasta cooking water to be used in sauce to adjust it’s consistency as it thickens.
- Cut bacon into chunks so you get more dripping out of it.
- Sear chicken in bacon drippings. It adds lots of flavor.
- Get block cheese and grate it fresh. Freshly grated cheese is so much better than pre-grated cheese bought from store which has fillers in it. Make sure to use fine grater for the cheese, otherwise it won’t melt properly and make silky smooth sauce.
FAQS
Whole milk or half and half can be used instead of heavy cream.
Left over chicken or rotisserie chicken (homemade or store bought) works for this recipe if you don’t want to make everything from scratch.
You can use any pasta penne, fusilli, fettucine or any pasta will do.
Variation ideas
Add smoked sausage for extra taste.
Use mixed vegetables like sliced mushroom, peas, corn, carrots or boiled broccoli, baby spinach to pasta.
TRY THESE OTHER PASTA MEALS
- Baked feta pasta
- 20 minutes broccoli pasta
- Creamy cajun chicken pasta
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
- Garlic shrimp pasta
- Instant pot mac and cheese
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📋Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 slices bacon
- 1 lb pasta use any pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
- 2 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning mix
- Salt & pepper – as needed
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season cubed chicken with Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Let it rest.
- Chop bacon into chunks and cook in skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Scoop out crispy bacon bits onto a bowl using slotted spatula leaving the bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Sear seasoned chicken in bacon fat leftover in skillet. Sear cook chicken in medium heat until it begins to brown and cooked.
- Remove cooked chicken onto another bowl.
- Optional step – wipe pan with kitchen towel to keep the sauce clean and white, if you don’t want bacony rich pasta.
- Melt butter in the same skillet. Saute finely diced onion and minced garlic in melted butter.
- Add heavy cream into the skillet. Add dry ranch seasoning mix, salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile boil water in large pot. Add salt.
- Add pasta and cook until al-dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Pour little pasta water to the sauce to adjust the consistency.
- Give it good stir. Allow cream to heat through, do not let it boil.
- Add freshly shredded Parmesan and white sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce. Stir and cook on low flame until cheese melts.
- Add seared chicken, cooked pasta to the sauce. Give it a mix.
- Finally add crispy bacon and parsley for garnish
- Serve immediately hot.
Video
Notes
- Cook pasta al-dente.
- Just before you drain pasta, reserve a mug of pasta cooking water to be used in sauce to adjust it’s consistency as it thickens.
- Cut bacon into chunks so you get more dripping out of it.
- Sear chicken in bacon drippings. It adds lots of flavor.
- Get block cheese and grate it fresh. Freshly grated cheese is so much better than pre-grated cheese bought from store which has fillers in it. Make sure to use fine grater for the cheese, otherwise it won’t melt properly and make silky smooth sauce.
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