Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Chicken With Blush Sauce Pasta
A tomato sauce softened with sour cream makes a welcoming bowl of chicken pasta. There is bacon tucked through it and plenty of melted cheese coating the ridges. Spoon it out warm, with the Parmesan over the top, and enjoy a generous forkful.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Pork
- Cuisine
- American · Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Reserve pasta water
Scoop out the pasta water before draining. The sauce uses it when the tomatoes, basil and hot sauce go in.
2. Render the bacon first
Let the bacon begin releasing its fat before adding the chicken, onion and garlic to the same skillet.
3. Taste after sour cream
Stir in the sour cream after the tomato simmer, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper before adding pasta.
Get to know the ingredients
Small bacon pieces
Cut the bacon into quarter-inch pieces before cooking so it is ready to mix through the chicken and sauce.
Shaped pasta
Rigatoni, penne and bow ties are listed options. Shapes and ridges give the creamy tomato sauce places to cling.
Shredded mozzarella
Toss the mozzarella through with the pasta until the cheese and sauce coat everything, keeping Parmesan for the garnish.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Chicken With Blush Sauce Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Parmesan to finish
Sprinkle fresh Parmesan over the coated pasta and serve warm, while the mozzarella is melted through the blush sauce.
A little more help as you go
Cool before storing
Let leftover pasta cool before refrigerating it in an airtight container for three to four days.
Thaw frozen portions gently
Thaw frozen pasta overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Cooked pasta will be softer after thawing.
A few questions you might have
Can I use chili flakes instead of hot sauce?
A quarter-teaspoon of red pepper flakes is listed as an alternative to the two tablespoons of hot sauce.
Does the chicken cook before the tomatoes go in?
Cook it with the onion and garlic until no longer pink and cooked through, then add the tomatoes and other sauce ingredients.
Should I drain the can of tomatoes?
The directions add the whole can of diced tomatoes to the chicken mixture, together with pasta water, basil and hot sauce.
Can I freeze the finished pasta?
Freeze the finished pasta in an airtight container for up to six months. The cooked pasta will be softer after thawing.
What if the sauce separates after thawing?
Reheating and stirring should bring it back together. Thaw the portion in the refrigerator first.
Any more cooking tips?
Before draining the pasta, scoop out about a cup of cooking water. Add it to a thick sauce to loosen it; the starch also helps the sauce cling. Grate Parmesan and mozzarella fresh for a smooth melt, without the added preservatives found in some packaged grated cheese. Rigatoni works well, and other shaped pastas with ridges hold the sauce too. Let leftovers cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can freeze the pasta for up to 6 months, though the texture will be softer after thawing. Thaw it overnight in the fridge so it reheats more easily without breaking. If the sauce separates, reheat and stir it to bring it together.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
