If you like spice or tomatoes, this is the recipe for you! A light sauce packed with flavor combined with earthy mushrooms and salty bacon makes this a meal that hits the spot each and every time I make it. This is also a great recipe to make quickly with a grocery store rotisserie chicken!
For my kids who don’t like anything spicy, well they don’t like tomatoes either, so they get noodles with some of the chicken I save before it goes in the sauce and parmesan.
Spicy Chicken & Bacon Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 16 oz. box of pasta (I prefer farfalle, but penne or rotini will work)
- 1/2 small white onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
- 8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
- 1 pre-cooked chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (I try to make my life easier and use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
- 4 – 6 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1-2 tsp of crushed red pepper – or more/less depending on how spicy you like it.
- A handful of chopped basil
- Parmesan cheese to taste
Directions:
Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the pasta. Follow directions on the box for recommended water and cooking time for al dente pasta. While the pasta is cooking, get started on the sauce, but make sure to stir the pasta every now and then.
Next, on a stove, bring a large pan to medium heat. Add about two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan followed by the chopped onions and minced garlic. Stir and saute until the onions are semi-transparent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir for about 2 more minutes. Finally, add the tomatoes, chicken, basil, crushed red pepper and crumbled bacon.
Let the sauce heat through for about 5 minutes. When the noodles are done, drain but save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add a small amount of the saved pasta water to the sauce if it gets too thick in the pan. You may not need to add any.
Put a serving of pasta on each plate, layer on the pasta sauce from the pan and finally add some parmesan to top it off. Now, eat till your hearts content. I know I will!
