This 20 minute creamy one pot chicken bacon and mushroom pasta for one person is bursting with flavor. Toss dry pasta and water into your pan after cooking the bacon and mushrooms for an easier clean up and creamy pasta.
[This chicken bacon and mushroom pasta recipe was originally posted in May 2021. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
Table of contents
This chicken bacon and mushroom pasta is comfort food made in one pan. That's the magic with cooking for one: you can fit a whole serving of food in a pan and save dishes.
I have a secret for the velvetiest pasta. This pasta is so creamy and velvety-
Cooking pasta in the same pot as your other ingredients saves a bit of water and leads to a super creamy pasta because you're keeping that starchy water that helps sauce cling to your pasta. Plus you've got one (or more!) less pot to wash.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the chicken bacon and mushroom pasta recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Bacon: Crispy bacon adds lots of salty and savory flavors to this simple pasta.
- Chicken Tender: I like to use chicken tenders because they're a great size for one serving (for me at least!), but use a whole chicken breast or what you have/prefer.
- Olive Oil: use it to cook the mushrooms and onions. The bacon doesn't render enough fat to cook the mushrooms in.
- Mushrooms: Slice them thin.
- Onion: This may be the first ingredient to skip if you don' have it, but it adds a nice sweet flavor to the pasta.
- Italian Seasoning: Traditional Italian seasonings add lots of flavor to this pasta, without much effort.
- Chicken Bouillon Paste: I'm a devotee to Better than Bouillon paste. I don't have to deal with a cup here and there of leftover chicken broth, and it lasts for a while in the fridge. Plus it's delish.
- Garlic
- Milk: I use milk + flour to easily create thick, silky, sauce for your chicken bacon and mushroom pasta. But you can use cream if you regularly have it.
- Flour
- Butter
- Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Scroll down to the chicken bacon and mushroom pasta recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
Start making your chicken bacon and mushroom pasta by slicing washed and dried white button mushrooms and roughly chop white onion.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken tender, bacon, olive oil, sliced mushrooms and onions. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and salt over mushrooms.
Cook until bacon is cooked through (flip halfway through cooking) and mushrooms have shrunk and are crispy on the edges. It'll take about 5-8 minutes.
Remove meat and vegetables from the pan, and pour water, spaghetti, chicken bouillon paste, and minced garlic in pan. Cover and cook until pasta is al dente. Add more water if necessary. By now, most of the water should be gone.
Chop chicken and bacon, and then mix flour into milk. Add milk/flour mixture into pasta plus butter and grated parmesan cheese. Stir together. Add meat and vegetables back into pasta, stir until pasta is coated and sauce is desired thickness.
Transfer chicken bacon and mushroom pasta to serving dish and top with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy.
Storage/Reheating Tips
Store any leftover creamy chicken bacon and mushroom pasta in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week.
To reheat, add a sprinkle of water to the pasta, and microwave until warm. The bacon won't be crispy, if that's an issue, separate it and pan fry it.
I usually don't want to spend the extra effort for crispy bacon, it's fine enough for me. Do what's best for you though.
This easy chicken bacon and mushroom pasta dish probably won't freeze well for leftovers.
Substitutions/Tips
- Cook bacon in between chicken and mushrooms. The little fat that's rendered can transfer to chicken and the mushrooms this way. You'll still need to add some oil to the mushrooms though.
- You can use white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms in this chicken bacon and mushroom pasta. Whatever you like/can find.
- Use spaghetti, or your favorite pasta to make this chicken bacon and mushroom pasta. You may need to adjust the water based on the pasta you use.
- You can double this delicious chicken bacon and mushroom pasta recipe for leftovers. Just sprinkle a teaspoon or so water on the pasta before microwaving it.
- Swap Italian seasoning for Herbs de Provence or similar herbs.
- Other great add-ins: heavy cream (or other cream), cream cheese (instead of flour), frozen vegetables, fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice, would all be good added to chicken bacon and mushroom pasta.
FAQ
I like making a cheesy sauce with pasta water, butter, and parmesan cheese. It's simple and uses ingredients that I always have on hand. You can also just use butter and cheese. Or lemon and butter. Or olive oil and lemon.
Definitely don't rinse wheat based pastas. Some others may include that step in the instructions. You don't want to wash away any extra starch that comes off the pasta while cooking it. That starch helps sauce/cheese stick to your pasta.
There are lots of great pasta recipes without red sauce, like this chicken bacon and mushroom pasta. Lemon, milk/cream, pesto, and cheese are great options.
Jerk Shrimp Pasta, Pesto Pasta, Mushroom Cream Sauce, Lemon Carbonara, Secret Ingredient Mac & Cheese, and Stroganoff are all great options.
What to do with leftover ingredients
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
- Bacon: Chicken Bacon Sheetpan Dinner, BLT Bagel, Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.
- Mushrooms: Lentil Stroganoff, Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup, Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms, and Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
- Chicken: Buffalo Chicken Flatbread, Instant Pot Turmeric Rice & Chicken, or Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread.
Did you make this One Pot Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Pasta? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Pasta for One
Equipment
- knife
- cutting board
- Large Frying Pan with a Lid
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- tongs
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 slice bacon
- 1 2-3 oz chicken tender thawed
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup mushrooms washed and dried
- ¼ whole white onion
- 1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 oz spaghetti
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- optional: parsley and red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Slice 1 cup white button mushrooms into about ¼ inch slices. Roughly chop ¼ white onion.
- Spray large frying pan with cooking spray, heat over medium-high heat. Place slice of bacon and chicken tender on one side of the frying pan, then pour 1 teaspoon oil on other side and spread mushrooms and onion out. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and ¼ teaspoon salt over mushrooms. Cook until bacon is crispy and mushrooms have shurnk and are crispy on the edges, about 5-8 minutes. Remove bacon, chicken, and mushrooms from pan when done.
- Pour 1 ¼ cup water, 3 oz spaghetti pasta, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon minced garlic into pot. Stir so all pasta is covered with water. Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Add more water if needed.
- Chop chicken and bacon into bite sized pieces while pasta is cooking. Once pasta is done and most of the water is gone, turn burner down to low. Mix 1 teaspoon flour into ¼ c milk and pour into pasta. Add 1 teaspoon butter and 2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese to pasta. Return chicken, bacon, and mushrooms to pasta. Toss with tongs until all pasta is coated by the sauce. Cook it down to a thick sauce if needed, season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- Cook bacon in between chicken and mushrooms. The little fat that's rendered can transfer to chicken and the mushrooms this way.
- You can use white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. Whatever you like/can find.
- You can double this recipe for leftovers. Just sprinkle a teaspoon or so water in the pasta before microwaving it for leftovers.
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Angelique Hernandez says
I slightly tweaked the recipe but it came out so good. I substituted coconut milk and chicken bouillon powder. I added red chili flakes for spice and it was amazing. I would make this recipe again!
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
great to hear! I need to try it with coconut milk now. yum
Marj says
Your recipes are delicious, and perfect for my toddler’s lunch boxes.
Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD says
that's great to hear! thanks
Marcelo says
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren't loading properly.
I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I've tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.
Rebecca says
thanks for the heads up, I'll take a look