Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake – A Creamy, Cheesy Comfort Food Classic
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If you love hearty, satisfying pasta dishes, this Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake is a must-try! Packed with tender chicken, crispy bacon, fresh spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini, this dish is bursting with flavor and goodness. Topped with a golden, bubbly cheese layer—without the hassle of making a cheese sauce from scratch—this easy pasta bake is the ultimate weeknight winner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✔️ No-Fuss Cheese Topping – All the cheesy goodness, none of the extra effort!
✔️ Loaded with Flavor – Smoky bacon, juicy chicken, and fresh veggies in every bite.
✔️ Perfect for Meal Prep – Great for leftovers or making ahead.
✔️ Family-Friendly – A crowd-pleaser for both kids and adults.
Serve it straight from the oven with a simple green salad or some garlic bread for the ultimate comfort food experience. Whether it’s a cozy dinner or an easy meal prep idea, this pasta bake will quickly become a household favorite!
Ingredients
- 300 grams pasta – I used bowtie pasta
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 450 grams chicken thigh sliced into 2 cm pieces
- 4 rashers of bacon, sliced into 2 cm pieces
- 200 grams mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 2 zucchinis, cut into chunky slices
- 40 grams Spinach (approx. 1 handfuls)
- 1 teaspoon Italian dried herbs *herbs are optional
- 250 ml crème fraiche
- 100 grams parmesan cheese, grated tasty, colby or mozzarella
- Salt and pepper
I hope you love this as much as I do, check out my other favourite pasta dish: Baked Cheesy Pasta and Meatballs.
Time-Saving Tips
- Cook pasta ahead of time and store with a drizzle of oil.
- Use pre-grated cheese.
- Make the entire bake in the morning, refrigerate, and grill before serving.
- Make two – one for now and one for the freezer!
Budget-Friendly Options
- Swap chicken for extra veggies or use leftovers.
- Use frozen zucchini or mushrooms instead of fresh.
- Replace crème fraîche with Greek yogurt (add a bit of lemon for tang).
- Make your own cheese sauce if you prefer – find the recipe on my’s blog!
Onto my recipe for Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake
Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 300 grams pasta – I use bowtie pasta
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 450 grams chicken thigh chopped into 2cm pieces
- 200 grams mushrooms thinly sliced
- 4 rashers bacon sliced into 2cm pieces
- 2 zucchinis cut into chunky slices
- 40 grams spinach approx. one handful
- 1 tsp Italian dried herbs optional
- 250 ml crème fraiche
- 100 grams grated Parmesan
- 1 cup grated cheese tasty, colby or mozzarella
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Cook pasta in salted boiling water as per packet directions. Once cooked, drain and reserve ¼ cup of pasta cooking water. Preheat grill to 200 degrees.
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In a large, heavy based, ovenproof pan over a medium heat, add the oil and butter, once melted add the garlic, chicken, mushrooms and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally while cooking.
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After cooking for around 4 minutes, add the zucchini. Stir occasionally.
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Deglaze the pan with the pasta water.
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Cook until chicken and bacon are cooked through, around 3 minutes.
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While the chicken is cooking make the crème fraiche cheese topping by mixing crème fraiche and parmesan cheese together in a bowl.
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Add the pasta to the pan, mix to combine. Add spinach and herbs if using.
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Place under the grill for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve.
Recipe Notes
NOTES:
• If using dried Italian herbs add them when you add the zucchini
• My children don’t love herbs through meals, so I usually leave them out and this still tastes delish!
• I used my Kitco 32 cm casserole pan.
TIME SAVING NOTES:
• Cook pasta the night before, toss with a little oil to store and just be sure to save the pasta water to use in the sauce.
• Buy grated cheese and parmesan
• Cook the whole dish the night before or earlier in the day and simply bring to room temperature and grill when serving
• Make two at once and cook them both, then freeze one for a day you don’t feel like cooking. To reheat, defrost overnight and reheat in the oven.
BUDGET NOTES:
• You can sub out the chicken in this dish entirely.
• You can change the vegetables out depending on what is a great price at the supermarket.
• You can use frozen vegetables; frozen zucchini is great in this recipe as you fry it so it gets all delicious in the butter. You could use frozen peas instead of zucchini or mushrooms.
• Instead of this easy cheese topping you can make a white sauce topping with butter, flour, milk and cheese. See my cheese sauce recipe on the recipe for Beef Lasagna Roll Up’s on my blog.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHECKING OUT MY RECIPE.
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