This cheesy white sauce is perfect for any pasta but works best with spaghetti or cavatappi. I favor butcher bacon as it’s the best bacon on the planet!
Kids attacked the leftover pasta and ate the bacon and sun-dried tomatoes before I was able to get a photo!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
- 4 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to an even thickness
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 slices bacon
- ½ (8 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or more as needed
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and a liberal amount of salt to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
Step 2
While pasta is cooking, coat chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 3
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken and chop into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Step 4
Add bacon to the same pan and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and cut into small pieces.
Step 5
Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes to the bacon fat and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and bacon and reduce heat to just above a simmer. Stir in milk and cornstarch. Add chicken broth, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese; stir and simmer until well mixed and cheeses have melted.
Step 6
Slowly add 1/2 cup pasta water to the sauce; stir and allow the sauce to thicken up to desired consistency, adding more pasta water as needed. Pour sauce over pasta to serve.
Cook’s Notes:
You can shred the chicken in your food processor with a few quick pulses. It's a perfect way to hide it in the sauce from your kids.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
Calories 490 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat16g | 20% |
Saturated Fat7g | 33% |
Cholesterol75mg | 25% |
Sodium1075mg | 47% |
Total Carbohydrate50g | 18% |
Dietary Fiber3g | 10% |
Total Sugars4g | |
Protein36g | |
Vitamin C15mg | 75% |
Calcium399mg | 31% |
Iron3mg | 17% |
Potassium582mg | 12% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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source by allrecipe
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