Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Chicken bacon ranch pasta truly has it all - crunchy bacon and golden chicken tossed in an extra flavorful ranch pasta sauce. It's also ready in just 25 minutes for the perfect midweek treat!

A creamy ranch-flavored sauce, crispy bits of bacon and golden chicken? Count me in for dinner!

This chicken bacon ranch pasta is a super simple yet delicious dinner idea that comes together double quick. It's creamy and rich, even though I use some tricks to lighten it up to make it lower in fat.

I love this chicken bacon ranch pasta with cream cheese because it's the kind of effortless recipe that's so good everyone will want seconds.

I make it with low-fat ranch dressing and light cream cheese, but the end result is still creamy and absolutely delicious!

Why you'll love this chicken bacon ranch pasta

• Very easy to make in just 25 minutes
• Creamy and delicious while being quite light
• Perfect for a weeknight treat

What goes into chicken bacon ranch alfredo pasta

Bacon lardons - Smoked or unsmoked bacon lardons are perfect here. Pancetta is another good option.

Chicken - I used chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces here. Alternatively, you can use boneless chicken thighs or even rotisserie chicken.

Butter - You get the perfect creamy base for the sauce by using a small pat of butter.

Shallot - Shallots are best in this type of pasta sauce because it cooks super quickly, and you don't have to take the chicken out of the pan. Make sure you dice it finely, though.

Garlic - Add as much fresh garlic as you like! I like to chop it finely with a sharp knife, but you can use a garlic press to mince it.

Italian seasoning mix - I always have a jar of Italian seasoning in the kitchen because it's such a great all-purpose mix. You can use some dried oregano and dried basil instead if you like.

White wine - Any dry white wine is great in this pasta sauce. I typically go for Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Ranch dressing - I make this pasta dish with low-fat ranch dressing, and the flavor is absolutely delicious. Use your favorite ranch dressing or use ranch seasoning mix instead.

Cream cheese - I used low-fat Philadelphia cream cheese in the sauce. If you don't mind the extra fat and calories, use regular cream cheese.

Pasta - I like to make this chicken bacon ranch recipe with penne, but any other type of short pasta will do. Fusilli, bowtie pasta, orecchiette and cavatappi all work well here.

How to make chicken bacon ranch penne

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve a couple of cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan or Dutch oven and cook the bacon for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes or until golden.

Stir in the shallot and garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

When the shallot is translucent, stir in the Italian seasoning mix.

Add the fried bacon and then the white wine. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

Stir in the ranch dressing and cream cheese until melted.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it to cover in sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water if it looks too dry.

Season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe notes and tips

• You can make this chicken bacon ranch pasta extra creamy by stirring in some heavy cream (double cream) with the cream cheese and ranch dressing.
• Add some spinach or kale for extra brightness and vitamins.
• This pasta dish is a complete meal on its own but if you want something on the side, serve it with some garlic bread.
• This chicken bacon ranch pasta is best served immediately.

If you liked this chicken bacon ranch pasta, you might also like some of my other quick and easy pasta recipes:

• Pink Sauce Pasta
• Ground Beef Shell Pasta
• Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
• Pistachio Pasta Sauce
• Tex Mex Chicken Pasta

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