Hello, hello – welcome to a new week!
We had a wonderful weekend chock-full of family time. I’m so sad it’s over! Lincoln’s baptism yesterday was absolutely beautiful. He behaved himself so well and even threw the pastor off when he looked up from his hymnal to see Lincoln grinning at the sound of his voice. So proud of my stoic little man!
My brother and sister-in-law served as his sponsors, and we couldn’t have been happier to have them up there with us (sorry to cut your head off, bro – shrink a few inches, why don’t ya’!) ; )
After the service we had a big brunch for Ben’s and my family. It was a full house, and a fun preview of family gatherings and holidays to come. Before we moved into our new place I was kind of a hosting grinch – there just wasn’t enough room to have more than a few people over. Now we can all spread out and run around. It is so much better!
Awkward family photo!
My in-laws and Ben’s brothers stayed with us this weekend to celebrate Lincoln’s big day, so Saturday afternoon I whipped up a huge pot of Chicken, Bacon, and Artichoke Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce for lunch.
This dish is the pasta version of one of my favorite pizzas with the same name from Papa Murphy’s (take ‘n’ bake, baby!) and it feeds a crowd. Chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach are tossed with chewy pasta then smothered in a luscious creamy garlic and herb sauce. I’d say the taste is nearly identical!!
Start by cooking 12oz penne pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and set aside. Easy.
Next, cook 1/4lb chopped bacon (4 slices, y’all) in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove all but 1 teaspoon bacon grease from the skillet. Don’t forget to use my easy bacon grease disposal trick!
Add 1lb chopped chicken breasts to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, then cook until no longer pink. Then add 1 can quartered artichoke hearts that have been drained and chopped up, and 1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until the artichokes are heated through, 3-4 minutes.
Finally add 5oz fresh spinach (about half a bag of DOLE spinach) then toss with tongs until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
Oh yum!
K! Now, you can cook the chicken/artichoke mixture first then make the creamy garlic sauce second, or if you’re confident enough, you can do them both at the same time. You can do it!
In a skillet or saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons butter in 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add 4 cloves minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. This may seem like a lot of fat, but remember, this recipe makes a TON of food.
Next sprinkle in 1/4 cup flour and whisk until smooth, then slowly stream in 1-1/2 cups each milk and chicken broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. I used 2% milk, but you could use whatever you’ve got in the fridge.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper then switch to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
To finish ‘er off, add 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
Garliriffic!
Everybody into the pool! That is to say, combine the cooked pasta with chicken and artichoke mixture, the garlic cream sauce, and cooked bacon (mmm, bacon.)
Toss to combine, then scoop & serve!
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Chicken, Bacon, and Artichoke Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Description
Chicken, Bacon, and Artichoke Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce is the pasta version of one of my favorite pizzas. Garlicky and delicious!
Ingredients
- 12oz penne pasta, dry
- 1/4lb bacon (4 slices,) chopped
- 1lb chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes
- 5oz baby spinach
- For the Creamy Garlic Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1-1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
- 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain then set aside.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate then discard all but 1 teaspoon bacon grease. Add chicken to the skillet then season with salt and pepper and saute until no longer pink. Add artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes then saute until warmed through, 3-4 minutes. Add spinach then flip with tongs until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile melt butter in extra virgin olive oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic then saute for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour then whisk until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stream in milk and chicken broth, whisking to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pepper then switch to a wooden spoon and stir until thick and bubbly, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat then stir in parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Combine pasta, chicken and artichoke mixture, sauce, and bacon then scoop and serve.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
So many mouthwatering flavors in this dish – where do I even begin? Well, bacon, first of all. But those pops of sweet from sun-dried tomato, and garlicky punch from the sauce are just Heaven. Hope you love this pasta, and have a great week!
Martha Rath 09.19.2018
We stumbled upon this recipe when looking for something to do with leftover Costco rotisserie chicken and artichoke hearts that were in the frig. We left out the cheese and bacon…Added orecchiette pasta (from Aldis) instead of penne, added leftover olive tapenade with the artichokes and roasted garlic… We tossed in a HUGE bag of baby spinach with the chopped leftover chicken- added more broth so it came out like a soup….DELISH!
Lisa D. 01.04.2018
I made this with sun dried tomato chicken sausage instead of chicken and it was OUTSTANDING!
Truebob 09.01.2017
Midweek last minute dinner and WOW. I wish I lived somewhere that madea pizza like that. My kids were literally standing by the stove waiting to snag some when I turned my back. It was killer, and I subbed canned diced tomatoes b/c I’m not a fan of sundried. Made the sauce pink which was a bonus, made me look like chef Ramsey, lol.
ginger 09.10.2016
I add toasted Pine Nuts. So good
40 Comforting Fall & Winter Pasta Dishes 09.06.2016
[…] Chicken, Bacon, and Artichoke Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce by Iowa Girl Eats […]
Carla 08.02.2016
Looks delicious! You have a lovely family!
Tracy 04.14.2016
Any chance you have the nutritional info for this recipe? A friend of mine loves your recipes and suggested I give them a try but I’m on a calorie reduced diet and track everything so it gets pretty complicated trying to break a whole recipe down to the calories in each ingredient
Richard S. 02.01.2016
Hey there, I just used your recipe tonight. I hate store bought alfredo sauce and I love the Papa Murphy’s pizza. What a great recipe. Thank you! I made my own choice changes by adding mushrooms. Cheers!
Dorsey Demaster (Louisville, KY) 12.15.2015
OUTSTANDING!!
Jessica 10.27.2015
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Cooked tomatoes are really kind of a hot or miss for me, but the sundries tomatoes in this recipe, were perfect! I made the recipe as stated, and I wouldn’t make any changes. My 5 and 8 year olds devoured it!
Kristin 10.27.2015
So glad to hear, Jessica, thanks for the great feedback!
Becca 08.18.2015
Hey, I just wanna say thank you for the recipe. This is one of the best pasta dish I’ve come across and your instructions are really easy to follow. =)
Ruth 07.17.2015
This was absolutely amazing! I want to say it was the best I have ever had:) thank you!
Lindsay@BluegrassBites 02.22.2015
Finally made this for dinner tonight – so yummy!!!!
5 Homemade Valentine’s Dinners That Won’t Break the Bank | Daily Deals BlogDaily Deals Blog 02.05.2015
[…] What’s a sign of a great cook? His or her improvisational skills. With a few basic ingredients, you can make restaurant-quality pasta in no time flat. Pick from tomato, onion, garlic, mushroom, spinach, and artichoke hearts (because it’s Valentine’s Day, of course). Saute the above in olive oil. Pick your SO’s favorite noodle type or try something new, such as gnocchi (a squishy potato dumpling) or pappardelle (wide, flat noodles, from the Italian verb pappare: “to gobble up”). Go vegetarian or serve with your choice of meat; all choices pair well with parmesan cheese. Finally, pepper to taste. If you’d like to follow a recipe before you try freestyling, check out this great one from Iowa Girl Eats. […]
Mara 08.23.2014
I made the pasta the day before, cut the chicken, the artichokes and the sun dried tomatoes up the day before. Earlier in the day, I cooked the beginning of the recipe and then just before we ate I made the sauce, threw in the chicken, pasta, artichoke mix and heated everything through really well for about 10 minutes. It was fantastic! Great recipe!!! Thank you!
Mara Leach 08.21.2014
Getting ready to make this for a get together and wondering if you have ever made this ahead and then just made the sauce last minute and done a heat through? I will be strapped for time. Can’t wait to try it! Sounds delicious!!!
Kristin 08.22.2014
I haben’t but I bet it’d be ok!
Brian 07.06.2014
I rarely post comments and always “steal” recipes. However, this recipe was amazing! My wife and I just began our amer break as educators here in Guadalajara, Mexico, and cooking is my mission. Pinterest is my toolbox. I came across this recipe and it was not only tasty but refreshingly light and tasty. So a big thank you, or gracias, from Chicagoland boy living south of the border! Cheers!
Kelly 05.14.2014
This was delicious and made so much! It reminds me of a dish that use to be on the menu at Olive garden which was my personal favorite. Its actually better than that dish because it lacks that chain restaurant overly salty taste. I didn’t have quite enough parmesan so I added some shredded mozzarella which made it really creamy. I love love LOVE all the garlic! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes! TY
Amy 05.06.2014
oh my goodness – I just made this for dinner tonight and it’s fabulous! I used more Parmesan cheese than it called for and I didn’t have artichokes on hand so that had to be omitted this time but we will definitely be making it again! Thanks!
Megan 04.09.2014
This is the 3rd recipe of yours that I have tried in about a 1 week span…. 3 FOR 3!! Absolutely delicious, pretty easy, quick, and healthier than a restaurant for sure! Thank you so much for your wonderful, wonderful recipes! :)