Loaded Chicken Pasta in Garlic Cream Sauce

 

This pasta is loaded with flavors all accented by a delicious and creamy garlicky sauce. The original name of this dish was Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce. It definitely describes the dish well, however, it is long. The first note I had about this recipe was "name too long, make shorter". I usually do not change names of recipe I find and blog, but this one was just too long and I kept thing about how many lines it would take in my recipe index. 

If you look at the picture closely you will notice two different noodles. Since the recipe only calls for 10 ounces of noodles I decided to use up two partial boxes of noodles instead of adding yet another partial box of pasta to my pantry. Even though I do not like how it looks in the pictures, at some point I need to use up my partial boxes of pasta.

Loaded Chicken Pasta in Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
• 5 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente and drain well.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken with the paprika and Italian seasoning and add to the skillet. Cook on one side for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook on the other side for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, turn the chicken over and cook until completely cooked. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm.
3. In the same skillet, add in the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Once the cream comes to a boil, add in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 1-3 minutes.
4. Increase the heat to medium and add in the chopped tomatoes, spinach, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until the spinach starts to wilt. Add in the chicken, bacon and pasta, stir to combine. 
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 945
Total Fat		52.3g
Saturated Fat		28.5g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0g
Monounsaturated Fat		0.1g
Cholesterol		5.9mg
Sodium		706.5mg
Total Carbohydrates		73.2g
Dietary Fiber		4.6g
Sugars		4g
Protein		50.2g
Calcium		31%
Iron		8.2%
Potassium		528mg
Vitamin A		158%
Vitamin C		34.2%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Julia's Album.