This Creamy Chicken Pasta dish is sauced with sherry with cream and dotted with bacon, tomatoes, and peas. It’s absolutely delicious!
Like I mentioned last week, pasta is one of my go-to good cheap eats. We’re now a 2-pound pasta family, so thankfully, I can easily buy it for $1/pound or less. By making my own homemade sauces, I’m able to serve my family a great restaurant-quality dinner — without the restaurant-quality bill.
A cream-based sauce is usually what I order when dining out, while my husband usually leans toward tomato sauces. While red sauce with sausages is definitely a huge hit at our house, sometimes I want something that won’t stain the tablecloth. That’s when I lean toward a quick cream sauce.
Nah, really, I just really like cream sauces. I don’t use tablecloths. 😉
This Creamy Chicken Pasta dish, sauced with sherry and cream and dotted with chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and peas is a huge hit at our house. I’ve been making it over the last few months, adding little tweaks as I go along. It’s a winner, I tell ya!
Note: someone in the family doesn’t care for peas, so I’ve tested it with peas and with green beans. Both are super delicious, though the two legumes bring different flavors to the dish. If you like a touch of sweet, go with peas, if not go with green beans. And hey! you can always substitute broccoli florets if that’s what floats your boat.
If there are any leftovers — which is doubtful — they reheat well the next day. Perfect for packing in tomorrow’s lunch.
Tools I use for this recipe:
Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup frozen green peas no need to thaw
- 1 roma tomato seeded and chopped
- 1 oz Parmesan cheese (shredded) (1/4 cup)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse and drain. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.
- Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence and salt and pepper to taste and cook in the hot drippings, turning occasionally. When just cooked through, remove to a plate and chop once cool enough to handle.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the sherry and stirring up any brown bits. Simmer for 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in the cream, chicken and peas. Simmer gently until hot.
- Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and toss with the chicken and sauce. Add the bacon and tomatoes. Adjust the seasonigns. Serve with parmesan cheese.
Michelle says
Sounds amazing!
Jennifer says
This sounds wonderful. What kind of sherry do you buy? I’ve never used it and have no idea what to expect.
Jessica Fisher says
I just buy the cooking sherry in the vinegar aisle.
Tastycook says
I am working away at my own pantry challenge this month and have quite a bit of chicken I would like to use. There’s always pasta in the pàntry so I think this will be on our table soon.
Jessica Fisher says
Good luck with your pantry challenge! Let me know if there’s any way I can help.
Jessica says
Yum yum!! If my cold is gone, I will definitely be making this pasta this weekend. I am with Jennifer, can you give us some more info on the sherry please? Also can the sherry be substituted? Thanks
Jessica Fisher says
I just use cooking sherry, found with the vinegars. You can substitute any white wine or chicken broth if you prefer.
Marci Girl says
I made this last night and it was fantastic. Another winner!
Jessica Fisher says
So glad you liked it!