Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta
Chicken, crisp bacon and spinach share a mustard cream sauce whose salt is managed rather than guessed.
South African01Rendered bacon fat seasons the chicken.
02Spinach wilts directly into the sauce.
03Bacon added last stays crisp.
Cook it calmly.
- 01
Render the bacon
Cook bacon from a cool pan until crisp. Lift it out and leave two tablespoons of fat.
- 02
Brown the chicken
Sear chicken in the bacon fat until golden and cooked through, then remove.
- 03
Make the sauce
Soften garlic, add cream and mustard, then wilt spinach in the gentle simmer.
- 04
Bring it together
Toss in penne, chicken and pasta water. Finish with lemon and crisp bacon, then taste before salting.
Common mistakes
- Oversalting the pasta water.
- Crowding the chicken.
- Boiling the cream.
The detail that changes the dish.
There are three salty ingredients before you reach for the salt cellar. Taste first; confidence is not the same as clairvoyance.
Rendered bacon fat seasons the chicken.
Chicken, crisp bacon and spinach share a mustard cream sauce whose salt is managed rather than guessed.
Spinach wilts directly into the sauce. Bacon added last stays crisp.
The ingredients that make Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta work
There are three salty ingredients before you reach for the salt cellar. Taste first; confidence is not the same as clairvoyance.
The pasta choice matters here. Penne supports the sauce and the way the ingredients are cut.
At the table
Serve Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta while its texture is at its best. Taste once more at the table before adding cheese, salt or chilli.
Later, if needed
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat gently with milk or water. Do not freeze.
Be realistic
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat gently with milk or water. Do not freeze.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main mistake with Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta?+
Oversalting the pasta water.
Can I substitute the main ingredient?+
Bacon salt and smoke vary. Use less pasta-water salt than usual and correct the finished pan.
