Easy and delicious Bacon Ranch chicken ranch pasta recipe! This chicken ranch pasta will soon become a regular on your dinner table. It is creamy, cheesy, and packed with delicious flavors, not to mention the crispy bacon.
Love bacon and pasta? Try pasta with bacon with peas, easy tomato bacon pasta and creamy bacon pasta.
This bacon ranch chicken pasta with Hidden Valley seasoning is so good. My daughter says it reminds her of potato soup, and yes, she's right. The two recipes have similar flavor profiles.
The combination of bacon, ranch seasoning, and chicken creates a delicious flavor profile that will leave you wanting more. This pasta is packed with most of the ingredients used in my loaded potato soup, apart from the ranch seasoning and pasta. So, if you love potato soup, you will love this creamy ranch pasta recipe.
This bacon ranch chicken pasta is satisfying, comforting, and incredibly delicious for a date or any special night.
Related recipes: creamy garlic chicken pasta and butter chicken pasta.
Why you will love this recipe
- Date night-worthy pasta recipe
- It is a perfect comfort pasta dish the whole family would love
- Quick and easy to make; this ranch pasta is ready in 30 minutes
- You don't need to use fresh chicken to make it. You can use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- You can prepare ingredients ahead for busy weeknights or meal prep. I cook bacon in advance as it can take up to 10 minutes, which is not ideal when time is of the essence on a busy weeknight. Also, it needs close monitoring, except it is cooked in the air fryer.
- It's versatile: you can add your own twist by adding vegetables or swapping out the protein for something like shrimp or tofu.
What you will need
Bacon cooked and crumbled. I love using smoked rasher for this recipe. It adds that extra oomph to the dish's overall flavor. Feel free to use any type of bacon you want.
Onion: I use brown onions
Garlic
Boneless skinless chicken breast: Substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Sharp cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese freshly grated off the block
Half and half
Dry ranch seasoning: I used Hidden Valley ranch dressing here, but you can use any brand or make homemade ranch seasoning.
Pasta: This recipe works with any pasta shape. I usually use penne, rotini, or farfalle.
Chili flakes (optional): It adds a nice heat to the meal and balances the creaminess of the sauce.
Olive oil: Substitute with bacon fat
Unsalted butter
Smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
How to make bacon ranch chicken pasta
If you haven't already, cut the bacon into smaller pieces and cook it on medium-high heat until crispy. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain on a kitchen paper towel and set aside.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions or until al dente, and set aside 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Add butter and olive oil (bacon fat) to a skillet on medium-high heat.
Add chopped onion and saute until soft, translucent, and fragrant.
Next, add the cubed chicken to the sauteed aromatics and season with black pepper and 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Stir to combine and cook until the chicken is white. Now add the garlic, stir to combine, and cook for 30 seconds.
Pour the cooking cream into the skillet and sprinkle in the remaining ranch seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and the cooked bacon. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer (2-3 minutes).
Add cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and stir until melted, creamy, and well combined. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Stir to combine, check for salt, and adjust accordingly.
Lastly, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine until each pasta is well coated in the creamy sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce or until your desired consistency is achieved. Serve immediately with more crispy bacon bits, garlic bread or French bread pizza and enjoy!
Watch how to make it
How to store
Store leftover bacon ranch pasta in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or an airtight container.
Tips
- Make chicken bacon ranch pasta with rotisserie chicken
- For an extra creamy sauce, use heavy cream instead of half-and-half. You can also substitute the cooking cream with cream cheese, mascarpone, or ricotta cheese.
- Add some diced tomatoes, bell peppers, or baby spinach for a pop of color and extra nutrients.
More pasta recipes you should try next
Creamy Chicken Ranch Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ pound pasta I use penne pasta
- 1 pound chicken breast cubed to bitesize
- ½ pound bacon
- 1 cup half and half plus ½ cup of water or pasta water
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil sub with bacon fat
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoon ranch seasoning divided into 1 tablespoon and 1tsp
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you haven't already, cut the bacon into smaller pieces and cook it on medium-high heat until crispy. This will take approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain on a kitchen paper towel and set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions or until al dente, and set aside 1 cup of pasta water before draining.½ pound pasta
- Add butter and olive oil (or bacon fat) to a skillet on medium-high heat.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Add chopped onion and saute for until soft, translucent and fragrant.½ cup onion
- Next, add the cubed chicken to the sauteed aromatics and season with black pepper and 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Stir to combine and cook until the chicken is white. Now add the garlic, stir to combine, and cook for 30 seconds.1 pound chicken breast cubed to bitesize, 4 garlic cloves, 1 ½ Tablespoon ranch seasoning, black pepper to taste
- Pour the cooking cream into the skillet (with half a cup of water) and sprinkle in the remaining ranch seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and the cooked bacon. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer (2-3 minutes).½ pound bacon, 1 cup half and half, 1 ½ Tablespoon ranch seasoning, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Add cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir until melted, creamy, and well combined. Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Stir to combine, check for salt, and adjust accordingly.½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese, Salt to taste
- Lastly, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine until each pasta is well coated in the creamy sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce if need be or until your desired consistency is achieved. Serve immediately with more crispy bacon bits and garlic bread. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple and delicious pasta recipe you can make at home in under 40 minutes. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
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