Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients

• 3.75 cups uncooked rotini pasta
• 4 thick-cut bacon slices
• 1 pound skinless , boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain rotini, saving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Leave rendered bacon grease in the skillet.

3. 3

   Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning. Add to the skillet with the bacon grease and cook until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove cooked chicken from skillet and set aside.

4. 4

   Rinse out skillet. Melt down 2 tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Slowly add in milk, whisking until sauce is smooth. Add pasta water ,1 tablespoon at a time, if the sauce is too thick.

5. 5

   Stir softened cream cheese into sauce until well combined. Mix in remaining 5 teaspoons of ranch seasoning and season with salt. Mix until well combined. Add cooked pasta and chicken back into the skillet and mix until well coated with sauce.

6. 6

   Finely chop cooked bacon. Mix into pasta dish. Serve garnished with chopped parsley if desired.