Best Pasta with Chicken
I came up with this chicken pasta recipe off the top of my head one night, and now it's a must-fix in my family every week. Be sure to pick up an extra jar of sauce to refresh any leftovers.
I came up with this chicken pasta recipe off the top of my head one night, and now it's a must-fix in my family every week. Be sure to pick up an extra jar of sauce to refresh any leftovers.
- Carbohydrate 40.9041759411293 g
- Cholesterol 57.6793133152738 mg
- Fat 10.8614288256268 g
- Fiber 3.21193947386913 g
- Protein 16.4531001459109 g
- Saturated Fat 2.25944472319808 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (155g)
- Sodium 282.645613836433 mg
- Sugar 37.6922364672601 g
- Trans Fat 1.99005761848809 g
- Calories 329 calories
Step-by-step
- NOTE: Cut chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces BEFORE cooking for a faster cook time.
- Boil pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry bacon.
- Remove to paper towels to drain.
- Leave one tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan and add chicken, cooking and stirring until chicken is white, slightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, add both jars of sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is just heated through, about 7 minutes.
- (IMPORTANT: Be sure to stir the sauce constantly and not overheat it. It WILL scorch).
- Drain pasta and return to it's pan.
- Crumble bacon.
- Add chicken and sauce to pasta and stir to combine.
- Add peas and crumbled bacon.
- Stir again until well combined.
- Sprinkle individual servings with green onions.
Swapping the specified jarred white sauce for a homemade roux-based parmesan cream fundamentally alters the dish by introducing raw flour starches that require prolonged simmering to eliminate pastosity. Without careful technique, pasta dishes combining poultry, cured pork, and dairy easily collapse into a gummy, unmanageable mass.
Controlling Starch and Moisture for Optimal Texture
Achieving the correct consistency relies entirely on managing moisture and starch ratios. Boil the bowtie pasta in a wide pot using at least four quarts of water to prevent surface starches from concentrating and causing the pieces to stick together. Drain the pasta thoroughly before combining; residual boiling water dilutes the sauce and prevents it from clinging to the surfaces. Cut the chicken tenders into uniform one-inch pieces prior to cooking to ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit without toughening. Retain exactly one tablespoon of rendered bacon fat in the skillet. This fat provides sufficient heat transfer to brown the poultry without pooling at the base of the serving bowl.
- Overheating the garlic parmesan sauce in the saucepan will cause dairy solids to separate and scorch on the bottom; maintain medium heat and stir constantly for no longer than seven minutes.
- Adding frozen peas directly to the hot pasta mixture without thawing them first releases excess water, which breaks the emulsion of the white sauce.
