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Creamy Chicken and Corn Pasta with Bacon

Creamy chicken corn pasta with bacon is a weeknight-friendly one-pan dinner with rigatoni coated in a sweet corn and bacon cream sauce. Tender chicken, golden corn kernels, and crispy bacon bits fold into a rich, velvety sauce and finish with Parmesan and fresh basil.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Creamy Chicken and Corn Pasta with Bacon
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 8 strips bacon diced
  • 12 oz rigatoni or penne pasta cooked and drained
  • 2 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
  • 1 onion small, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish
  • 1 extra Parmesan for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook bacon and chicken
  1. Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, 5-8 minutes, and set aside, leaving 1 tablespoon fat in the pan (visual cue: bacon looks deeply browned).
  2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, cook in the bacon fat over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165°F, then remove (visual cue: juices run clear and pieces are evenly browned).
Build the corn cream sauce
  1. In the same skillet, cook the diced onion over medium heat for 3 minutes until softened (visual cue: onion turns translucent around the edges).
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute (visual cue: fragrant, not browned).
  3. Add the corn kernels and cook for 3 minutes until slightly charred (visual cue: some kernels show toasted spots).
  4. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened (visual cue: sauce coats the back of a spoon).
Toss and serve
  1. Add the cooked and drained rigatoni or penne, the chicken, and most of the bacon, then toss until evenly coated (visual cue: pasta looks glossy with sauce).
  2. Stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce turns velvety (visual cue: no dry cheese clumps).
  3. Garnish with the remaining bacon, fresh basil, and extra Parmesan (visual cue: bright basil flecks and a light snowfall of cheese on top).

Notes

Pro tip: drain the pasta well before tossing so the cream sauce stays thick and clingy. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of chicken broth. Freezing isn’t recommended because heavy cream can break when thawed and reheated. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce may be slightly thinner).