Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta is a delicious pasta dish. The cream is so wonderful, and the asparagus and bacon give it a fantastic mix of textures.

Every month when I make the menu, I pick a new meal or two for us. And once again that new meal turned out to be a really good one. I wasn’t sure if The Hardworking Husband was going to like it. He’s not a huge fan of pasta and we all know he doesn’t like chicken. But he does like bacon and asparagus. But he loved it.

The creamy sauce of this was so good.  I think I could eat just the sauce.  It has Neufchatel cheese. I had never heard of it. But my favorite grocery store had it and it was perfect in the sauce.  It’s a lot like cream cheese. I can’t say it enough that this sauce is fantastic.

I must mention that I was surprised as I started making this that you use so many different pans. I had to do some rearranging as I went along because the pot I cooked the pasta in and the skillet I cooked the sauce in were to big to put another pan on the burner in front of or behind. If needed, the chicken and the bacon can be cooked beforehand.

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Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta

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Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz penne pasta, I used tri color
• 5 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
• 1 lb chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 lb asparagus
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 oz Neufchatel cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of water before draining.
2. While pasta is cooking, slice chicken breast into strips.
3. In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil.
4. In a small bowl mix together basil, oregano, thyme, salt & pepper.
5. Sprinkle half of the spices over the chicken. Place in pan seasoned side down and sprinkle remain spices over the chicken. Cook until chicken is completely cooked through. Do not over cook. You don't want your chicken dry.
6. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
7. While chicken is cooking cut ends off asparagus and then cut into 2 inch pieces. Steam until tender but not mushy. They should be bright green in color.
8. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. Add butter to pan. Once butter has melted. Add flour and garlic. Cook for about 1 minute.
10. Add milk and cream. Bring to a boil. Once thickened a little add cheeses.
11. Pour pasta into sauce.
12. Add chicken, bacon, asparagus, and pasta water. Stir to combine. Sauce will thicken as it sets.
13. Enjoy right away.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 716Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 766mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 57g

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