Comforting Crack Chicken Pasta (Printable Version)
Rich, creamy pasta with tender chicken, bacon, cheese, and ranch—a comforting 40-minute dinner perfect for sharing.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta & Chicken
01 - 12 ounces penne or rotini pasta
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
03 - 5 slices bacon, chopped
→ Sauce
04 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
07 - 3/4 cup chicken broth
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1 packet ranch seasoning mix (1 ounce)
→ Cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
→ To Finish
12 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Method:
01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
03 - Add butter to the skillet with the bacon fat. Once melted, sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in cream cheese until softened, then add chicken broth, heavy cream, and ranch seasoning. Whisk continuously until smooth and creamy.
05 - Add cheddar and parmesan cheese to the sauce, stirring constantly until completely melted and sauce has thickened.
06 - Add the cooked chicken and half the cooked bacon to the sauce. Stir gently to combine and heat through.
07 - Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat every piece evenly with the creamy mixture.
08 - Divide the pasta among serving plates. Top with remaining crispy bacon, sliced green onions, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately while warm.
# Expert Tricks:
01 -
- The ranch cream sauce comes together faster than you can set the table
- Leftovers actually taste better the next day, if they last that long
02 -
- Cold cream cheese creates stubborn lumps that never quite disappear, no matter how long you whisk
- The sauce continues thickening off the heat, so pull it slightly thinner than you think you need
03 -
- Grating your own cheese from blocks melts more evenly than pre-shredded bags, which contain anti-caking agents that can make sauce grainy
- Reserve some pasta water before draining—it contains starch that helps bind the sauce if it separates