Shake up your tired spaghetti routine with this creamy, crunchy, tangy chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe. It comes together in minutes and is endlessly riffable so you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Instructions
1
Cook the pasta
2
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
3
Crisp the bacon
4
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, seven to eight minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Let it cool, then crumble it into small pieces. Editor's Tip: Another excellent way to cook bacon is to bake it. When you make bacon in the oven, the pieces are evenly cooked and you can still save the bacon fat for other uses.
5
Make the sauce
6
In the same skillet, pour off the excess bacon fat. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute. Add the cream, ranch seasoning, pepper and cheddar cheese. Cook over low heat until the cheddar cheese fully melts, two to three minutes. Editor's Tip: Garlic browns quite quickly, so be careful not to burn it! Burnt garlic has a bitter taste that will flavor the entire sauce.
7
Combine the pasta and sauce
8
Add the cooked pasta and chicken to the skillet. Cook until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.
9
Add the garnishes
10
Off the heat, stir in the crumbled bacon, tomatoes and half the green onions. Use the remaining green onions to garnish individual bowls.
