Print

Spicy Chicken and Bacon Tomato Pasta

Closeup of Spicy Chicken and Bacon Tomato Pasta garnished with grated cheese and basil on plate.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

Chicken, crispy bacon, pasta, fresh basil and a creamy and smoky tomato sauce come together in this quick and tasty 30-minute Spicy Chicken & Bacon Tomato Pasta dish!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken:

  • 8 ounces / 226 grams Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ¼ + ⅛ TSP Fine Sea Salt (use ¾ TSP if using kosher salt), to taste
  • ¼ TSP Garlic Powder
  • ⅛ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper

Spicy Chicken and Bacon Tomato Pasta:

  •  2 rashers / 66 grams thick sliced Bacon – sliced into ¼-inch strips
  • ¼ medium / 50 grams Red Onion (substitute with yellow or white onion, or shallots) – finely chopped
  • ½ medium / 100 grams Red Bell Pepper – finely diced
  • 2 cloves / 15 grams Garlic – minced
  • 5-6 pieces / 20 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional, I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety can be used, omit for milder dish – note 1*)
  • ≈ ½ cup / 10 grams fresh Italian Basil Leaves – finely sliced into thin strips
  • 5.3 ounces / 150 grams Whole Grain Penne Pasta (whole wheat pasta, or use any short-cut regular pasta or gluten-free pasta if needed)
  • 2 TBSP / 30 grams Hot Calabrian Chili Pepper Paste/Sauce (note 2)
  • 1 TBSP / 15 grams Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
  • ≈ 2 cups / 200 grams Passata (substitute with tomato puree)
  • ¾ TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ½ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • ¼ TSP Garlic Powder
  • ½ TSP Smoked Paprika (hot or sweet)
  • ½ TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 3*)
  • ¼ TSP ground Cayenne, to taste (note 3*)
  • ½ TSP Italian Seasoning
  • ¼ cup / 60ml Single Cream (also known as table or light cream in the USA – note 4)
  • 2 TBSP reserved Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
  • To Serve: Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese), reserved sliced Basil

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Season the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Season with fine sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Mix well to coat.
  2. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop/slice the bacon, red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, red chilies and basil as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.

Spicy Chicken & Bacon Tomato Pasta:

  1. Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta al-dente according to package instructions in a large pot (or the same medium-sized deep sauté pan you’ll use to make the pasta dish) of boiling salted water. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I like to run water cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further but this is optional.)
  2. Cook the bacon: Place a medium-sized deep sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the bacon strips. Sauté until crisp, browned and cooked through – about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain off the excess grease. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
  3. Cook the chicken: Add the seasoned chicken pieces and spread the pieces out in the pan. Allow to sear for 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another minute or until no longer pink but not fully cooked yet. Push the chicken to the back of the pan.
  4. Sauté the veggies and aromatics: Add the red onion and red bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute until softened. Add the garlic and red chilies and sauté to combine for 20 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Build the tomato sauce: Add the Calabrian chili paste and tomato paste. Mix to combine with everything in the pan. Then pour in the passata and add the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, ground cayenne and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine and allow to bubble for 20-30 seconds.
  6. Add the cream: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the single cream.
  7. Add the pasta and bacon: Add the cooked pasta and bacon and mix for 1 minute until everything is evenly coated in the sauce. If the sauce thickens too much, add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it. Mix to combine until the sauce clings to the pasta.
  8. Stir through basil: Stir in most of the sliced fresh Italian basil (reserve some for garnish), then switch off the heat.
  9. To Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and sliced basil. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Any type of hot red chilies easily available to you can be used. Adjust the amount based on how hot the chilies are and your heat level preference. For a milder dish, omit the fresh chilies. The dish will still be spicy because of the Calabrian chili pepper paste, crushed red pepper, ground cayenne, and smoked paprika (if using a hot one). You can reduce the amount of the seasonings but reducing the amount of Calabrian chili pepper paste will alter the final flavor of the dish.
  2. Calabrian Chili Pepper Paste/Sauce. This is smoky, spicy and slightly tangy chili paste is made with Italian hot chili peppers and garlic. It packs a powerful flavor punch! It’s usually sold in glass jars and can be found at Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma and online from Amazon.
  3. Crushed Red Pepper and Ground Cayenne: Use more or less to taste depending on your spice level preference. Omit for a milder dish.
  4. Single Cream. This is a cream with 15% fat per 100ml and is known as table cream or light cream in the USA. Feel free to use heavy cream or double cream if a richer and more decadent tomato cream sauce is desired.
  5. Storing and reheating. Store any leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway in between, until hot throughout. I recommend garnishing with the grated cheese and sliced basil after reheating. The basil tends to become bitter and blackens when reheated in the microwave.
  6. Nutritional information. Nutritional information provided is inclusive of ≈ ¼ cup / 20 grams of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to be divided for 2 servings. Feel free to use more or less as per your preference.
  7. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/spicy-chicken-bacon-tomato-pasta/