Chicken & Bacon Tagliatelle Alfredo

You hard to beat a homemade Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Tagliatelle Alfredo. It’s like bringing the restaurant into your own home and making this dish yourself is so easy, satisfying and very tasty.

Traditionally this creamy restaurant-quality pasta dish is made with oil, butter and cream but we can still enjoy this dish on a healthier scale simply by changing a few of the ingredients to make this dish just as tasty but with less fat content.

Pasta choice:

I have used a bag of shop-bought fresh tagliatelle pasta in my dish but any pasta will do for this recipe so go with whatever pasta that you prefer.

If you are using dried pasta, cook the pasta of your choice to the manufactures instructions. If you are using fresh pasta as I have done in my dish, this normally only wants a few minutes to cook. Set the pasta aside. (Save a cup of the pasta water for later)

Chicken, Bacon

I have simply oven roasted 2 medium chicken breasts and sliced them up but it is also ok to use shop-bought pre-cooked chicken breasts or whole cooked chicken and simply shred or slice it and set it aside.

I have used smoked rindless bacon medallions for my dish but any smoked back bacon can be used, just remember to remove any visible fat first, slice to thin strands ad set aside.

Cherry Tomatoes & Spinach

I have used fresh baby spinach leaves which have simply been wilted down at the last few minutes of the cooking which helps to keep that vibrant green colour throughout the dish.

The dish has a dozen cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and added to the sauce at the same time. The moisture from the spinach and tomatoes brings a great flavour to the dish and helps to loosen off the sauce.

Note: I use different colored cherry tomatoes where I can as this gives the finished dish a real colour boost.

So let’s put it all together.

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions in well-seasoned boiling water, Drain and set aside.

Roast the chicken breast and shred or slice it up and set aside.

Fry off the diced onions and sliced bacon in a little One-Cal spray oil for 3- 4 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, salt and cracked black pepper and chilli flakes and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.

NOTE: If the pan becomes a little dry, add some of the pasta water to loosen off the mixture.

Add the chicken stock-pot and a little water of the starchy pasta to loosen the mixture then add the sliced chicken and toss through for 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add two tablespoons of low-fat Creme Fraiche to the sauce and stir through until evenly combined and creamy.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss through to evenly coat the pasta. Serve in a pasta dish and garnish with some lovely chopped fresh parsley and parmesan shavings if your syns will allow.

Chicken & Bacon Tagliatelle Alfredo

Recipe by Steve WalkerCourse: Lunch, Main Meals, Pasta SaladDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

It’s like bringing the restaurant into your own home and making this dish yourself is so easy, satisfying and very tasty.

Ingredients

• 500g pasta (Cooked to packet instructions)

• 4 Chicken breasts (Roasted and shredded or sliced)

• 4 rashers of smoked back bacon (All visible fat removed and sliced into thin strips)

• One-Cal Spray Olive oil

• 1 Medium onion (Diced)

• 1/2 Cup fresh baby spinach (sliced)

• 2 Garlic cloves (crushed or grated)

• 1/2 Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 Tsp. chilli flakes or Cajun seasoning.

• 1 Tsp Salt

• 1 Knorr chicken stock pot (or your preferred chicken stock)

• 1 cup of starchy pasta water (After cooking the pasta, save a cup of the pasta water)

• Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

• Parmesan cheese to garnish (if required)

Directions

• Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions in well seasoned boiling water, Drain, and set aside.
• Roast the chicken breast and shred or slice up and set aside.
• Fry off the diced onions and sliced bacon in a little One-Cal spray oil for 3- 4 minutes. (add a little water to the pan to help sweat down the onions.
• Add the crushed garlic, salt and cracked black pepper and chilli flakes and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock-pot and a little water of the starchy pasta to loosen the mixture then add the sliced chicken and toss through for 2 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until all ingredients are well combined and hot throughout.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add two tablespoons of low-fat Creme Fraiche to the sauce and stir through until evenly combined and creamy.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss through to evenly coat the pasta. Serve in a pasta dish and garnish with some lovely chopped fresh parsley and parmesan shavings if your syns will allow.

Notes

• I have used a bag of shop-bought fresh Tagliatelli pasta in my dish but any pasta will do for this recipe so go with whatever pasta that you prefer.
• NOTE: If the pan becomes a little dry, add some of the pasta water to loosen off the mixture.