Chicken and bacon are the perfect pair, but toss it with sweet corn and fresh pasta, and the end product is truly irresistible!
Chicken Bacon and Sweetcorn Pasta going to be a new weeknight favorite. Done in 30 minutes and full of protein from the chicken and bacon. Chicken and bacon pasta is decadent, however light, thanks to the sweet corn.
Why Corn Is the Perfect Complementary Ingredient for Chicken and Bacon
Corn has a natural sweetness to it that plays well with the savory chicken and crispy bacon.
Corn is easy to find year-round but if you can score some fresh, sweet corn during the peak season then you'll really have something special here.
I have used frozen, canned, and fresh corn for this pasta recipe before so just grab what you have available to you.
Chicken and Bacon Pasta Ingredients
Easy chicken, bacon, and corn pasta is basically a creamy chicken alfredo made with corn. Chunks of chicken breast are a nice surprise in the mix of the creamy pasta.
It's a great way to use up leftover chicken pieces too! Chop or shred leftover chicken breast and you can use that in this pasta recipe.
- 16 oz penne pasta or pasta of your choice (I used a fun curly pasta for this one!)
- 2 cans of corn (or about 3 cups of corn)
- 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken (feel free to use leftover chicken!)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups of reserved pasta water
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ½ an onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped up
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- fresh basil for garnish
How to Make Chicken Sweetcorn Pasta Perfectly Al Dente Every Time
The trick to perfectly cooked pasta, especially when creating a sauce to go with it, is to cook it al dente! Or slightly underdone. This is how I do it...
- Fill your pot up with water and a generous amount of salt.
- Bring it to a boil and add your pasta
- Cook the pasta about 8 minutes (it will be under done at this point, but don't worry!)
- Add the pasta to your sauce and finish cooking for another 2 minutes until al dente!
By finishing the pasta by cooking it in the sauce you really infuse that sauce into the pasta and make sure it's perfectly al dente for this bacon pasta.
Warm chicken and bacon pasta is a deceptively easy dish to make, but by perfectly cooking the pasta you really take it over the top!
Creative Ways to Use Leftover Chicken Bacon and Sweetcorn Pasta
Chicken bacon and sweetcorn pasta is the PERFECT way to use up extra chicken. Whether it's from a previous recipe you made in the week or you've got a rotisserie chicken from the store.
This pasta is one of my favorite ways to use up the leftover chicken so it doesn't go to waste! However, if you end up having some of this pasta dish leftover you could do something REALLY fun with it...
Use the leftover bacon corn pasta by basically turning it into a mac and cheese bake. Simply add the leftovers to a baking dish and sprinkle extra parmesan cheese mixed with breadcrumbs on top.
Broil until the top is bubbly and browned. Enjoy the leftovers!
Sink Your Teeth into More Original Recipes with Sweetcorn
Bacon and chicken aren’t the only things that pair perfectly with corn! Try these other easy, 30-minute corn recipes:
Chicken Bacon and Sweetcorn Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz penne pasta or pasta of your choice I used a fun curly pasta for this one!
- 2 cans of corn or about 3 cups of corn
- 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken feel free to use leftover chicken!
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups of reserved pasta water
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ½ an onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 6-8 slices of bacon cooked until crispy and chopped up
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Begin boiling a pot of water seasoned with salt & cook the pasta for 8 minutes.
- While the pasta boils, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until it is crispy. A few minutes on each side.
- Remove the bacon and set aside on a plate to cool.
- In the same skillet you cooked the bacon turn the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in ½ of the corn and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until everything is warmed through.
- In a high speed blender or food processor add the corn mixture, heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend well until nice and smooth.
- At this point the pasta should be slightly under done, reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water and strain the rest.
- Add the pasta to the skillet you cooked the bacon and corn in.
- Pour the corn sauce over the pasta and toss together. Slowly add in the reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Add in the chopped bacon, shredded chicken, the rest of the corn, and parmesan cheese. Stir well!
- Top with fresh basil and enjoy.
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