Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Enjoy intense, savory flavors with this creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta recipe. It takes everything delicious about pasta and bacon and turns things up a notch!

The perfect creamy & savory pasta

Chicken pasta is good — we all know this! Adding chicken to any pasta dish is a great and easy way to amp up the protein and make it a more complete and satisfying dish. But chicken bacon ranch pasta? Oh, my. With this recipe, you are in for a treat! A delicious, mouth-watering treat.

This chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe is the most flavorful and savory way to make a pasta dish. It takes regular fusilli noodles and pairs it with cream cheese, garlic, onion, and more for an ultra creamy and hearty pasta. And if you're not convinced, we're also loading in some white cheddar (or mozzarella — your preference) to complete the dish!

Ingredients in this chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe

This pasta recipe focuses on the creamy and flavorful, and each ingredient chosen supplies one or the other (or both!). Together, these items form your new favorite dinner.

• Fusilli pasta: First up, you will need 16 oz of fusilli noodles. You can also use brown rice — I used the kind from Trader Joe's!
• Chicken: Then, you will need 3 cups of cooked chicken. It will need to be shredded or cubed. You can use any type of chicken, and it may be extra easy if you grab a rotisserie!
• Onion: Add flavor by including 1 small yellow onion. It will need to be diced.
• Broccoli: Add some veggie benefits with 3 cups of chopped broccoli.
• Garlic: Next, mince up 4 cloves of garlic for the perfect flavor. You can use 1 teaspoon of powder if needed.
• Cream cheese: Add a delicious creamy texture with 1 block of light, softened cream cheese.
• Ranch dressing: Now for the good stuff — use ⅔ cup of ranch dressing!
• Cheddar: Supplement the ranch and cream cheese with 1 cup of shredded white cheddar. You can also use mozzarella if preferred.
• Bacon: Last but not least, this pasta is made complete with 6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon! Any type of bacon will do — applewood, maple, turkey, etc.

Tools needed to create this recipe

This recipe keeps things pretty simple. To make chicken bacon pasta at home, you will only need a pot, a large dutch oven or saucepan, a stirring utensil, and ⅔ cup and 1 cup sized measuring cups.

How to make chicken bacon ranch pasta

Making this recipe involves a simple step-by-step process, starting with the pasta. From there, we'll cook the veggies before adding the creamy mix-ins!

First, cook the pasta according to the package.

Then, heat the oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan. Add the onions and broccoli and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until softened.

Next, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then, stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing.

Stir in the pasta, half of the shredded cheese, and half of the crumbled bacon until well combined.

Top with remaining cheese and bacon. Enjoy!

Optional add-ins

If you'd like to add a bit of extra bulk to your pasta but aren't sure where to start, here are some ingredient ideas! All of these will add density to your pasta and can work as a group or individually.

• Diced tomatoes
• Finely chopped green pepper
• Spinach

Bacon and chicken pasta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. I recommend keeping it in an airtight container (versus using plastic wrap or aluminum foil) to really lock in the freshness!

I don't recommend freezing this dish, as pasta doesn't typically freeze well.

If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!

How is it that adding bacon to a recipe automatically makes it 15x better? I haven't found the answer, but I know it is a fact. Here are three more bacon recipes you must try ASAP!

• Healthy Spinach Bacon Quiche
• Honey Pecan Bacon Baked Brie
• Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa