Chicken bacon Caesar pasta is quick, easy, creamy pasta heaven. Studded with crispy crackles of bacon, chunks of tender juicy chicken, and bound together with a thick Caesar dressing, it’s a full meal that masquerades as a hot pasta salad.

There’s nothing that gets me going quite like a good pasta dish.

And this chicken bacon Caesar pasta is one if the best!

Creamy spaghetti noodles swirl around tender chunks of chicken and crisp pieces of bacon, in a sauce made of your favorite dressing.

It’s all stirred with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a dash of lemon juice, and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

The result is a dish you can serve as a main or as a stand in for a chilled pasta salad at any summer picnic or barbecue.

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

Pasta– 12 ounces of angel hair pasta. You could also use spaghetti.
Chicken– Boneless skinless breasts, cut into strips or equal sized pieces. You could sub rotisserie chicken to save some time.
Salt and pepper– To taste
Bacon– Thick cut bacon, sliced.
Garlic– Fresh garlic cloves minced.
Chicken broth– You could use stock or vegetable broth or stock.
Caesar dressing– Your favorite creamy Caesar dressing
Parmesan cheese– Freshly grated
Lemon juice– Fresh is best
Parsley– Chopped for garnish. Optional.

How to Make

This chicken bacon Caesar pasta is pretty easy to make!

Just cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Reserve one cup of pasta water when you strain the pasta.

While the pasta cooks, add the chicken to a large skillet over medium heat.

Season it with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the cooked chicken to a plate, set aside.

Add the bacon to the same skillet you used to cook the chicken in and fry it until crispy.

Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess grease.

Drain away the excess grease, reserving about two tablespoons worth in the skillet.

Turn the heat down to medium low.

Stir the minced garlic into the bacon grease and let it cook for about a minute or until fragrant.

Once the garlic is fragrant, stir in the broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet to deglaze the pan and loosen up those yummy browned bits.

Let the broth cook until it has reduced by half.

Stir in the dressing and bring the sauce to a slow simmer.

If the sauce is too thick, stir in some of the pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time until your desired consistency is reached.

Stir in the cheese, lemon juice, and parsley until evenly incorporated and the cheese is melted.

Then add the cooked pasta to the skillet and gently toss until it’s evenly coated in the Caesar sauce.

Garnish with additional Parmesan, crumbled bacon, and parsley when plating to serve.

Enjoy.

Storing Leftovers

Store this pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can serve the leftovers chilled or heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop to enjoy.

Tips and Tricks

You can replace the chicken with shrimp if desired.
Feel free to season the chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic, or any other combination of spices you like while cooking it.
Make sure to reserve the pasta water for the sauce. The starch in the pasta water helps the sauce come together nicely.

Other Caesar Recipes

Chicken bacon Caesar pasta salad is a delicious way to indulge in Caesar flavors in a hearty, meaty pasta dish.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other recipes that use caesar dressing?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this CHICKEN BACON CAESAR PASTA, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!