This chicken bacon pasta bake is so simple and tasty. It is sure to be a family favourite with tender chicken, crispy bacon, sundried tomatoes, in a light and flavourful sauce, all topped with cheese… yum! It’s a great weeknight dinner, and to have as leftovers another day – that is if there’s any left.
Typically, I would not be the biggest fan of a pasta bake but this is so yummy. It’s not too rich or heavy, just packed with flavour. Despite the usage of cream, the sauce is still light smooth, plus you do not feel groggy afterwards. This dish is not cream based. The main flavours are the umami from the bacon and the sundried tomatoes.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken is one of the main proteins in this pasta bake. Typically, I am a chicken thigh girly, however with this dish chicken breast works perfectly. It absorbs the flavours of the sauce remaining juicy and tender.
- Bacon brings a salty and umami punch. I fry the bacon so it gets a nice crispy texture, and renders out all its fatty goodness. Then saute the aromatics in the fat for optimal flavour.
- Pasta of course as this is a chicken bacon pasta bake after all! My choice of pasta is fusilli, small spirals. The spiral shape allows all the sauce to get into the crevices, and this pasta is small enough to ensure you can get a bit of everything with each bite.
- Sundried tomatoes are a subtle star in this recipe. They are used in two ways. First is the oil the tomatoes are soaked in, I add this before the chicken goes in. Then the actual sundried tomatoes go in themselves, finely chopped. Delicious!
- Tomato paste brings depth to the flavour. Some people use crushed tomatoes in their pasta bakes, personally I’m not a fan of this. Using tomato paste brings a flavour bomb, without all the extra juices.
- Cream makes the sauce smooth and velvety. The amount of cream used means that the sauce remains light, not heavy and gluggy.
- Cheese is used both in the sauce and on top before baking. This is not a cheese central dish, but a bit of cheese is the finishing touch that is *chefs kiss*. I use a mix of tasty, which is a type of cheddar, and parmesan.
- Italian herbs are the key seasoning in the chicken bacon pasta bake. The herbs bring a subtle earthy tone that adds another layer to the flavours. Salt is also used to taste.
- Aromatics are of course the standard onion and garlic. I finely diced the onion so that it would blend in nicely, and not stand out. Onion and garlic build the base flavours of the sauce.
How to make this tasty chicken bacon pasta bake
Preparation.
Preheat your oven to 220℃. Prepare your ingredients by cutting the bacon into small pieces, finely dicing the onion, and chopping the chicken into bite size pieces.
Fry the bacon.
Add the bacon to a non-stick deep pan at a high heat, no need to add oil as the fat will render out fast. Fry until the bacon pieces have a nice crisp to it.
Saute the aromatics.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Turn the pan’s heat down to medium. Add the diced onion and garlic to the leftover bacon fat. Saute until the onion begins turning translucent and fragrant.
Bring depth to the flavour.
Add the tomato paste and italian seasoning to the onion and garlic. Combine and let cook for a minute, this is to get rid of the bitterness in the tomato paste.
Add the main ingredients.
Pour in the oil from the sundried tomatoes, and add the chicken. Give everything a mix to coat the chicken. Let cook for a few minutes. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes. Add those and the bacon to the pan.
Make the sauce smooth.
Pour in the cream, then stir until combined. Leave to simmer whilst the pasta cooks.
Cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then cook pasta per packet instructions.
Finish the chicken bacon pasta bake.
Drain the pasta and add to the pan, carefully toss to coat in the sauce. Tip the pasta into an oven safe dish. Coat the top with the tasty cheese and parmesan. Pop into the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and has a nice crust. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
This chicken bacon pasta bake is the perfect dish to make in bulk. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep its freshness for 3-4 days. When you are ready to serve again, just pop it in the microwave for 1-1.5 minutes and it’s ready to go!
More chicken recipes:
- Mediterranean Chicken Bake
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Caesar Salad
- Caramelised Onion Chicken
- Chicken & Quinoa
- Chicken Broccoli Bake
Alrighty, now you should have everything you need to make this scrumptious chicken bacon pasta bake. A family for sure! So come on, grab those ingredients, and let’s get to cooking. You do not want to miss out on this delight!
Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves (or 2 tbsp jarlic)
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 250 g streaky bacon
- 250 ml cream
- ½ cup tasty cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan
- 400 g fusilli pasta spirals
- 2 tbsp sundried tomato oil
- 4 sundried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220℃. Prepare your ingredients by cutting the bacon into small pieces, finely dicing the onion, and chopping the chicken into bite size pieces.
- Add the bacon to a non-stick deep pan at a high heat, no need to add oil as the fat will render out fast. Fry until the bacon pieces have a nice crisp to it.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Turn the pan’s heat down to medium. Add the diced onion and garlic to the leftover bacon fat. Saute until the onion begins turning translucent and fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and italian seasoning to the onion and garlic. Combine and let cook for a minute, this is to get rid of the bitterness in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the oil from the sundried tomatoes, and add the chicken. Give everything a mix to coat the chicken. Let cook for a few minutes.
- Finely chop the sundried tomatoes. Add those and the bacon to the pan.
- Pour in the cream, then stir. Leave to simmer whilst the pasta cooks.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then cook pasta per packet instructions.
- Drain the pasta and add to the pan, carefully toss to coat in the sauce.
- Tip the pasta into an oven safe dish. Coat the top with the tasty cheese and parmesan. Pop into the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and has a nice crust. Serve and enjoy!
