Description
Creamy, comforting, and packed with flavor, this chicken, bacon & mozzarella pasta is the ultimate cheesy pasta bake with rich sauce and bursts of sun-dried tomato.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven broiler to high and position rack in the middle.
- Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, cook garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes until fragrant.
- Pour in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in parmesan cheese and return chicken to the pan. Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Mix in mozzarella cheese gently and let it melt through the pasta.
- Transfer to oven-safe dish if needed, top with extra mozzarella, and broil 2–4 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let rest for a few minutes, then serve hot with optional fresh herbs or extra parmesan.
Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese for better melt and flavor.
- Let the pasta rest for 5 minutes before serving to thicken the sauce.
- For added veggies, toss in spinach or mushrooms before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 610mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
Keywords: chicken pasta, mozzarella pasta bake, creamy pasta, weeknight dinner, pasta casserole