Skillet Creamy Chicken Bacon Spinach Tomato Pasta

You’ll fall in love with the flavors in this Italian inspired Skillet Creamy Chicken Bacon Spinach Tomato Pasta dish. All that’s missing is a glass of white wine. Sliced chicken and bacon are simmered together with vegetables and Penne pasta in a homemade creamy Alfredo sauce made with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4 Total Time: 40 minutes 

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste 
1 teaspoon paprika 
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
5 medium tomatoes, diced 
1 cup spinach 
5 cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled 
1 1/3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese + 1/2 cup to garnish 
1 1/3 cups half & half
10oz Penne Pasta 

Directions: 

Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning. 

In a skillet add the oil on med/high heat, when hot brown the chicken on both sides until browned and the internal temperature reaches 160F-165F. Remove and cover with foil to keep warm. Once it’s easy to handle cut it into bite size pieces. Recover. 

In the same skillet add the tomatoes, spinach, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1/3 of the chicken pieces and 1/2 of the bacon; mix well. Add in the half & half and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling add in the 1 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese, reduce to a simmer and stir until cheese melts and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and taste test to adjust any seasoning. 

Cook your pasta according to package instructions, drain and rinse in cold water. Add pasta to skillet and toss to coat in sauce and vegetables. Add the remaining chicken pieces in along with the other half of the bacon. To serve: top with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Yum Yum!