Chicken Pasta Bake
Pasta is fun, sophisticated, and scrumptious. Sorry if you are trying to stay away from carbohydrates, but this chicken pasta is a great classic recipe to have on hand for company or yourself. Pair this dish with salad, and breadsticks for even more carbs and even more fun!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yields: 4-6 servings
Pasta Igredients:
-8 oz penne pasta
-1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cubed
-1 tbsp ranch seasoning/dressing mix
Sauce ingredients:
-2 tbs salted butter
-1 tsp minced garlic
-1 tbsp ranch seasoning/dressing mix
-½ tbs all-purpose flour
-1 pint heavy whipping cream
-½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
-¼ teaspoon black pepper
Topping ingredients:
-1 cup mozzarella cheese
-4 slices bacon, cooked + chopped
-fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375°
-In a large pot of water, boil penne pasta until al dente, according to package directions
-Drain
-Season chicken pieces with ranch seasoning
-Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.
-Cook chicken in a prepared skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink in center; about 10 to 12 minutes
-Remove chicken from skillet and onto a large plate
-You can tent with foil to keep warm
-Carefully wipe skillet clean so that you can cook the sauce in
-Add butter to skillet, and melt it over medium heat
-Once melted, add garlic and stir until fragrant; about one minute
-Whisk in ranch seasoning and flour
-Cook for 30 seconds whisking constantly
-Slowly whisk in heavy whipping cream. Continue to cook and stir for one minute or until mixture starts to boil
-Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese until it completely melts
-Season sauce with pepper
-Add drained pasta and cooked chicken to ranch sauce in skillet
-Stir to combine
-Pour this mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan
-Top with mozzarella cheese and chopped bacon
-Bake uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling
-Remove from oven and let rest/cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving -Serve with fresh parsley, if desired
-Enjoy!
