Blackened Chicken over Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Looking for a light, creamy dish that is bursting with flavor and feels like a warm hug on a plate? This Blackened Chicken over Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas checks all the boxes! Tender, blackened chicken sits on top of a delicious bowl of pasta that is tossed in a homemade cream sauce with crispy bacon and peas. My favorite part is the hint of lemon. Ready to make this delicious dinner? Let's dive in!
Ingredients:
16 ounces of Radiatori Pasta (or any pasta shape you love)
8 slices of bacon
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 small shallots, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups of heavy cream
3 tablespoons of full-fat sour cream
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups of frozen peas
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika (for seasoning the chicken)
Onion powder (for seasoning the chicken)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Cook the pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Once done, drain the pasta and set it aside, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water for later use.
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon slices until crispy on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once they have cooled, roughly chop them. Reserve the drippings in the pan.
Prepare the blackened chicken. - In a small bowl, mix together paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper to create the seasoning blend for your chicken. Coat each chicken breast evenly with the seasoning mixture, pressing it into the surface to ensure it sticks.
In the same skillet that you cooked the bacon, add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook in the bacon drippings for about 6-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and has a blackened crust on the outside. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to rest before slicing it thinly.
Make the cream sauce. Wipe out the pan after cooking the chicken. Add olive oil and cook the diced shallots over medium heat. Sauté them for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Pour in the heavy cream and sour cream. Whisk together until combined and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes to thicken slightly.
Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, letting all the flavors meld together. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cooked pasta into the skillet with the creamy sauce, tossing it to coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce feels too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to achieve your desired consistency. Stir in the frozen peas, crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese. Toss everything together until the cheese melts into the sauce.
Slice the blackened chicken breasts and arrange them on top of the creamy pasta. You can garnish with extra Parmesan, fresh herbs, or a sprinkle of paprika for added flavor and color.
Enjoy!
Now that you've got a bowl full of creamy, cheesy pasta with crispy bacon, savory peas, and perfectly seasoned blackened chicken, it’s time to dig in. This dish is rich, satisfying, and full of flavor in every bite. Whether you’re making it for a weeknight family dinner or a special weekend meal, Blackened Chicken over Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas is sure to become a favorite.
Pro Tip:
To add a little extra kick to your blackened chicken, feel free to add cayenne pepper to the seasoning mix. And if you love garlic as much as I do, an extra clove or two never hurts!
Blackened Chicken over Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas
This dish is so creamy and delicious. Plus it's high in protein with juicy blackened chicken.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of Radiatori Pasta
- 8 slices of bacon
- 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 small shallots, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons of full-fat sour cream
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons of Worcester sauce
- 1 ½ cups of frozen peas
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Once done, drain the pasta and set it aside, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water for later use.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon slices until crispy on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once they have cooled, roughly chop them. Reserve the drippings in the pan.
- Prepare the blackened chicken. - In a small bowl, mix together paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper to create the seasoning blend for your chicken. Coat each chicken breast evenly with the seasoning mixture, pressing it into the surface to ensure it sticks.
- In the same skillet that you cooked the bacon, add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook in the bacon drippings for about 6-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and has a blackened crust on the outside. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to rest before slicing it thinly.
- Make the cream sauce. Wipe out the pan after cooking the chicken. Add olive oil and cook the diced shallots over medium heat. Sauté them for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Pour in the heavy cream and sour cream. Whisk together until combined and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, letting all the flavors meld together. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked pasta into the skillet with the creamy sauce, tossing it to coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce feels too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to achieve your desired consistency. Stir in the frozen peas, crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese. Toss everything together until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- Slice the blackened chicken breasts and arrange them on top of the creamy pasta. You can garnish with extra Parmesan, fresh herbs, or a sprinkle of paprika for added flavor and color.
