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Indulge in this rich and creamy homemade pasta dish. Tender chicken, crispy bacon, and sweet peas are tossed in a velvety Parmesan Alfredo sauce for a perfect, comforting weeknight dinner.
Cook the Pasta
Prepare Bacon and Chicken
Create the Alfredo Sauce
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Indulge in this rich and creamy homemade pasta dish. Tender chicken, crispy bacon, and sweet peas are tossed in a velvety Parmesan Alfredo sauce for a perfect, comforting weeknight dinner.
This italian_american recipe takes 40 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 980.73 calories per serving with 48.19g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for dinner or lunch.
Combine and Serve
Substitute the chicken with 1 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp. Sauté the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until pink and opaque, then set aside and add back in at the end.
Sauté 8 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms in the skillet after cooking the chicken. You can also add a few handfuls of fresh spinach to the sauce at the end and let it wilt.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes along with the garlic to give the creamy sauce a gentle heat.
For a slightly lighter sauce, you can substitute half of the heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, though the sauce will be less rich and thick.
The chicken breast provides high-quality lean protein, which is essential for muscle repair, growth, and overall body function.
Parmesan cheese is a great source of calcium and phosphorus, two key minerals vital for maintaining strong and healthy bones and teeth.
The carbohydrates from the fettuccine are broken down into glucose, providing the primary source of energy for your body and brain.
This is an indulgent dish. Each serving contains approximately 1200-1300 calories, primarily from the cream, cheese, bacon, and pasta. It's best enjoyed as a special treat.
While delicious, this dish is high in calories, saturated fat, and sodium, so it's not typically considered a 'healthy' meal for regular consumption. However, it provides significant protein and calcium. Enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
The two most important steps are: 1) Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, not the pre-shredded kind. 2) Remove the pan from the heat *before* you whisk in the cheese. This gentle, indirect heat allows the cheese to melt smoothly into the cream.
Absolutely! While fettuccine is classic, this sauce works wonderfully with other long pastas like linguine or spaghetti, or short pastas like penne, rigatoni, or rotini, which are great at catching the sauce.
Alfredo sauce is best served immediately as it can thicken and separate upon reheating. If you must make it ahead, store the sauce and pasta/toppings separately. Reheat the sauce gently on the stove with a splash of milk or cream before tossing with the pasta.
You can use half-and-half for a lighter sauce, but it won't be as thick or rich. Another option is to make a roux with butter and flour before adding milk, but this changes the classic Alfredo flavor and texture.