Rustic Chicken-Bacon-Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta

baconpastaIt rains constantly here in the winter so comfort food is always something we crave. What is it about dreary weather that makes you want to eat? And not just eat anything, it has to be goood. And warm. And full of flavor. Cheesy and buttery helps too.

I also crave easy to make dinners. Lately I’ve found myself saying “this is my busy time of year”. But I’m finding I’m saying that all year round. The wheel basically never stops turning. Part of me thinks I’d like to jump off, but then what would I do?

So now I have my busy times (which is always) and my busier times, (which is 25% of the time). Help! I know everyone is busy, I just don’t ever remember so much craziness. We are all living the over-scheduled life. Anyway, just like you, I always have to find a way to make dinner easier, faster and better. And everyone in my family seems to have an opinion on how I could do that. They are so helpful:).

This pasta dish is one of my go to recipes. It starts with having extra cooked chicken breasts around. I always cook more than I need when I’m making a chicken meal. I leave the extra breasts plain, stick them in the fridge and cube them up the next day for a dish like this. You could also cook up the chicken especially for this meal, it just takes more time (but it’s doable). Leftover rotissere chicken is also an option.

While I love a good pasta sauce, sometimes I just don’t want it. Making pasta this way allows for some real yummy goodness and a real rustic feel, sans the sauce. Let’s face it, with bacon, chicken and sun-dried tomato, who needs the sauce.

Rustic Chicken-Bacon-Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta
Recipe Created by Noble Pig | Serves: Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pound penne pasta
1 pound cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
7 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 jar (8-10 oz) julienned sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon chives, freeze-dried or fresh
1/2 cup aged white cheddar or Parmesan, finely grated

Directions:

Boil pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, brown bacon over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Add in cubed chicken, sun-dried with half the oil that's in the jar, butter and chives. Continue to saute until bacon is crisp and chicken is warmed through. Add pasta into skillet and toss with cheese until all ingredients are incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. This usually depends if your chicken was seasoned originally or not. Serve immediately.

~ Another amazing addition to this dish is marinated artichoke hearts. I always add them in if I have them in the house.

Cathy owns her vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living.  She lives with her husband and two sons.  You can visit her at noblepig.com.