Creamy Chicken and Corn Pasta with Bacon

Ingredients

Pasta and cheese

  • 10 oz farfalle bow-tie pasta
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Chicken

  • 1.5 lb chicken thighs or breasts (skinless, boneless)
  • 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Corn

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups corn kernels cooked (4 corn ears – corn on the cob)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Other ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 strips bacon cooked
  • fresh herbs thyme, oregano, or marjoram (for garnish)

Instructions

Cook pasta

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions (usually about 10 or 12 minutes). Drain when the pasta is done.
  • Proceed with the rest of the recipe while you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook.

Shred cheese

  • Shred ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. If using pre-shredded cheese, take it out of the fridge. This step is important because the shredded cheese has to be a bit warmed up to melt successfully in the sauce. What I do is place shredded cheese into a heatproof bowl close to the stove so that it warms up from the heat.

Cook chicken

  • Slice chicken thighs into thinner strips. Generously season the chicken with smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Heat a large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken. Cook the chicken on medium heat for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until completely cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.

Make creamy corn sauce

  • To the same, now empty, skillet, add cooked corn kernels, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Stir and cook in chicken juices on low heat for about 3 minutes to blend the flavors.
  • Remove half of the corn kernels to a plate.
  • Add 1 cup of heavy cream to the skillet with the remaining half of corn kernels. Bring to a gentle boil (simmer).
  • Add ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir on low heat until the cheese melts.

Assembly

  • Add cooked and drained pasta to the sauce.
  • Add cooked chicken.
  • Top with chopped cooked bacon and the remaining half of the corn kernels.
  • Top with fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, or marjoram).

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