Creamy Cheesy Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake with Spinach
This creamy pasta is loaded with seasonsed chicken, bacon, and sauteed spinach. Combined with noodles and tossed in a easy cream sauce full of parmesan and mozzarella, baked until golden brown and gooey!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Dry pasta, like penne or fusilli cooked to package directions
- 1 cup Reserved pasta water
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2-3 medium Bonesless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 medium Red onion finely diced
- 5-6 slices Uncooked bacon diced
- 3 cups Fresh spinach
- 3-4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese divided
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, set aside. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for thickening the sauce. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish, set aside.16 oz. Dry pasta, like penne or fusilli
- In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat until melted. Add in the raw chicken and seasonings. Sauté for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.2 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened, 2 tbsp Olive oil, 2-3 medium Bonesless skinless chicken breasts, 1 tsp Kosher salt, Fresh cracked black pepper , 1 tsp Onion powder, 1 tsp Garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Remove the cooked chicken from the pan, set aside. Keep the heat on medium-high. Add in the diced onion and bacon, sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the bacon starts to get crispy. Add in the spinach and garlic, cook for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.1 medium Red onion, 5-6 slices Uncooked bacon, 3-4 cloves Garlic, 3 cups Fresh spinach
- Pour in the heavy cream and reserved pasta water, stir to combine. Let sauce simmer over medium-heat to thicken, 4-5 minutes. Mix in the shredded parmesan and 6 oz. of the mozzarella, stir until melted. Add the chicken back in.1 cup Reserved pasta water, 1 1/2 cup Heavy cream, 1 cup Parmesan cheese , 8 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Add the cooked noodles into the sauce, toss to combine. Transfer pasta to the greased casserole dish and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.8 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
Notes
*Any type of noodle will work in this recipe.
* If your cream sauce is too thick, add in additional cream or milk or thin with a little extra pasta water. If it is too thin, let is simmer for a few additional minutes.
*Precooked rotisserie chicken can be substituted, reduce cooking time to warm through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 658kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 34gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 882mgPotassium: 537mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2122IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 360mgIron: 2mg