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Smothered Chicken Pasta

Smothered chicken pasta with golden pan-fried chicken, creamy linguine, crispy bacon, and homemade sauce.
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Pan-fried seasoned chicken served over linguine or bow tie pasta tossed in a creamy homemade bacon pan sauce.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or avocado oil, plus bacon drippings as needed

Pasta

  • 12 ounces linguine or bow tie pasta
  • Salt, for pasta water

Bacon

  • 5–6 slices bacon, chopped

Creamy Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2½ cups chicken broth
  • 1½ cups half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon chicken Better Than Bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme or ⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

  • ½–1 cup reserved pasta water, as needed

Instructions

  1. Prepare the chicken. Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create 4 thin chicken cutlets.
  2. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
  3. Cook the bacon. Add the chopped bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1–2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet.
  4. Brown the chicken. Add enough oil to the skillet to lightly coat the bottom. Add the chicken and cook for about 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked through at this point. Transfer to a plate.
  5. Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine or bow tie pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
  6. Make the sauce. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Add the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute.
  7. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking continuously until smooth.
  8. Stir in the half-and-half, Better Than Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  9. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken. Keep the sauce slightly thinner than traditional gravy because the pasta will absorb some of the liquid.
  10. Finish the chicken. Return the chicken to the skillet and nestle it into the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
  11. Add the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until thoroughly coated. Add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to keep the sauce creamy.
  12. Stir about half of the cooked bacon into the pasta. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
  13. Divide the pasta among plates. Place the chicken over the pasta, spoon additional sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle with the remaining bacon.

Notes

Ground thyme: If using ground thyme instead of dried thyme leaves, use ⅛ teaspoon.

Don’t over-thicken the sauce: The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits and as the pasta absorbs it.

Save your pasta water: Reserve the full cup before draining. You may not need all of it, but it makes it easy to loosen the sauce without diluting the flavor too much.

Salt to taste: Broth, bacon, bouillon, and seasoned salt vary considerably in sodium. The added ½ teaspoon gives the sauce a better baseline seasoning, but taste the finished pasta before adding more.

Pasta options: Linguine gives this dish a creamy, restaurant-style presentation, while bow tie pasta holds the sauce well and is easier to serve.

Find it online: https://ourgratefulkitchen.com/smothered-chicken-pasta/