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A pot of Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon, Lemon and Peas is a satisfying, flavorful, and light dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes. With smoky bacon, golden brown chicken, tender pasta, sweet peas and fresh herbs in a simple lemon cream sauce, this easy meal tastes special enough for entertaining, but it’s quick enough for busy weeknights! Pair it with a side of crusty baguette and a green salad in balsamic vinaigrette for the ultimate family feast.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
If you love a creamy pasta dish that doesn’t taste too heavy, then you’ll truly adore the bright, fresh flavors of this chicken and bacon pasta in a lemon cream sauce. It’s satisfying and flavorful, but not overly rich. Plus, you just can’t beat the combination of flavors and textures from the smoky bacon to the sweet peas and the savory fresh herbs. While the meal totally reminds me of spring, it would be a delicious, quick-prep dinner at any time of year!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to prepare a pot of creamy chicken pasta. As always, the specific measurements and the complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Bacon: for great smoky flavor. You can substitute with pancetta for an Italian twist.
- Chicken: just one boneless, skinless chicken breast is enough for this recipe, but you can add more to taste. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will also work.
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper: to enhance the flavors in the dish.
- Heavy cream and sour cream: use full-fat ingredients (not low-fat sour cream or half-and-half), because not only do they have the best flavor and texture, but I find that these full-fat versions are less likely to “break” or separate when cooked in the sauce.
- Lemon juice and zest: for a bright touch of acidic lemon flavor. It’s a beautiful contrast to lighten up the rich, creamy sauce.
- Worcestershire: just a note of savory umami in the background. I highly recommend this “secret” ingredient for the best flavor.
- Pasta: any short pasta will work here. I used radiatore (or ruffles), but bowtie (farfalle), medium shells, penne and orecchiette are also good options.
- Peas: no need to thaw the frozen peas before you add them to the dish.
- Chives: for a mild onion flavor. If you can’t find fresh chives, you can substitute with green onions.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Pasta
This recipe is inspired by a similar dish that I saw Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli prepare on an old episode of The Kitchen. I tweaked it a bit and added chicken and peas to make it a meal, but the genius behind the lemon cream sauce is all hers. I hope that you love the bright, fresh combination of flavors, colors and textures that is so perfect for the sunny spring days ahead!
- Cook the pasta until al dente, making sure to reserve about ½ cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Cook the chicken in the bacon drippings until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Simmer the lemon cream sauce in the same pan.
- Add the cooked pasta, bacon, chicken and frozen peas to the sauce. Cook just until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to thin the sauce.
- Garnish with chives and grated Parmesan. Serve immediately!
What to Serve with Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon
This is basically a one pot meal, thanks to the chicken, pasta and peas in the same bowl. If you’d like to complete the meal with a couple of easy sides, here are some good options that pair nicely with the creamy chicken pasta:
- A simple green salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette or Green Goddess dressing
- Crusty Baguette or a loaf of No-Knead Bread
- Homemade Focaccia
- Garlic Bread
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Roasted Asparagus
Storage
Leftover cooked pasta will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing the pasta, since pasta tends to get mushy when thawed and the creamy sauce will “break.”
To reheat the pasta, place in a saucepan or skillet, cover, and warm over low heat just until the dish reaches the desired temperature. Be careful not to boil or reheat it for too long, or the pasta will get mushy. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Recipe Variations
- Any small pasta shape will work. I’ve shown radiatore here, which are great because they soak up and hold onto the sauce in a really nice way. Other good options include penne, orecchiette, medium shells, or bowtie pasta.
- Add spinach instead of the peas at the end of the cooking. Just like the peas, spinach only needs a couple of minutes to wilt and cook into the dish.
- Instead of chicken, use Italian sausage. I typically like sweet Italian sausage because that’s my kids’ preference, but hot or spicy Italian sausage is also delicious, or try turkey Italian sausage.
- Add a can of drained, petite-diced tomatoes or a can of drained, rinsed white beans.
- Sautéed sliced mushrooms would be a nice addition to the pasta as well.
- Fresh herbs will add great flavor! Try basil, parsley, thyme or oregano.
Tips for the Best Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Cook the pasta just until al dente — tender, but with a little “bite.” The pasta will continue cooking in the sauce for a couple of extra minutes, so you don’t want it to be overdone.
- Use full-fat sour cream and heavy cream. Lower-fat substitutes do not provide the same flavor and texture to the sauce, and have more of a tendency to “break” or separate when cooked.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half to prepare a smaller portion of creamy chicken pasta in white sauce. Similarly, if you’re serving a larger group, just double all of the ingredients to accommodate the crowd.
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese is a nice garnish at the end, but you can absolutely make this creamy chicken pasta without cheese if you prefer.
- When zesting the lemon, be careful that you only scrape off the thin outer layer of the fruit. You don’t want any of the bitter white pith in your dish.
More Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipes to Try
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Penne Pasta with Corn and Zucchini
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Penne Pasta
Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon, Lemon and Peas
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- Âľ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons full-fat sour cream
- Grated zest and juice of ½ of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 ounces dried radiatore pasta, penne, bowtie, orecchiette, or other small pasta shape
- â…” cup frozen peas (not thawed)
- ÂĽ cup minced fresh chives (or sub with thinly-sliced green onions)
- Garnish: grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water just until barely al dente according to package instructions (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water to thin the sauce later, if necessary. Drain.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the drippings in the pan.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the chicken in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until browned on both sides and juices run clear, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice into thin strips.
- Wipe the skillet clean to make the sauce. In the skillet, whisk together heavy cream and sour cream. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Simmer the cream mixture over medium heat, whisking, until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. With the sauce at a gentle simmer over medium heat, add the cooked pasta, the chicken, the bacon, and the peas. Toss to coat in the sauce and cook just until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved pasta water, as necessary, to thin the sauce. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Garnish with the chives and Parmesan; serve immediately.
Notes
- Cook the pasta just until al dente — tender, but with a little “bite.” The pasta will continue cooking in the sauce for a couple of extra minutes, so you don’t want it to be overdone.
- Use full-fat sour cream and heavy cream. Lower-fat substitutes do not provide the same flavor and texture to the sauce, and have more of a tendency to “break” or separate when cooked.
- Cooking just for two? Cut all of the ingredients in half to prepare a smaller portion of creamy chicken pasta in white sauce. Similarly, if you’re serving a larger group, just double all of the ingredients to accommodate the crowd.
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese is a nice garnish at the end, but you can absolutely make this creamy chicken pasta without cheese if you prefer.
- When zesting the lemon, be careful that you only scrape off the thin outer layer of the fruit. You don’t want any of the bitter white pith in your dish.
can precooked bacon be used ? and chkn also? recipe sounds great
Hi, Jean! Yes, you can use pre-cooked bacon, but you won’t have the drippings in the pan to cook the chicken. This isn’t a problem if you’re using pre-cooked chicken (like a rotisserie chicken), but if you still want to cook your own chicken in the pan, just add oil or butter to cook it instead of the bacon drippings. Hope you enjoy!
Can you add more pasta to this without doubling the whole recipe. 8 ounces is not a “serves 4” amount, more like a serves 2 quantity.
Hi, Lisa! Yes, you can do that, but the proportions will be off, so you will have more pasta than sauce (and other ingredients). If you don’t mind your pasta lightly dressed, it will be okay, but it’s not ideal. If you want to feed a larger group, I would double everything so that the recipe stays as written.
Maybe I’m missing the recipe for the lemon cream sauce.