Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta (Lighter Version)
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is made with a creamy Greek yogurt based sauce! It's higher in protein and lower in calories than similar recipes that call for heavy cream or cream cheese in the sauce, but still packs so much flavor!
Ingredients
- 3 oz bacon diced, about 3 slices per batch
- 12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
- 8 oz dried penne pasta or similar, pictured is trottole
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- ~2 teaspoon baking soda optional, for tenderizing chicken
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives finely chopped (optional, for topping)
For Light Ranch Sauce:
- ½ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt 1 single serve cup per batch
- 1 cup chicken stock or chicken bone broth for added protein
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese about ½ cup per batch
- 3 tablespoon ranch seasoning powder 1 standard packet per batch
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken. Slice it into ¼ inch thick pieces, then cut again to make bite-sized chunks.Optional step, tenderize the chicken: Arrange the sliced chicken on a cutting board or plate so it’s laying flat. Dust with ~1 teaspoon of baking soda, then flip all the pieces and dust with another ~1 teaspoon of baking soda. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinse the baking soda off of the chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
- As you prepare the rest of the dish, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions while completing the other steps. Drain and keep warm. (I like to add the past to the water when the bacon is almost done cooking)
- Cook the bacon or over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pieces get crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate, leave drippings in the pan. (You should have a few tablespoons of oil left behind)
- Once the bacon is done cooking, ensure you have 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon grease remaining in the pan. Remove excess or add a little oil to supplement as needed.
- Bring the pan with the bacon grease to high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and toss to coat it in the grease, then arrange it so it's laying flat in the pan. Let the chicken cook undisturbed until the bottom is golden, and it's mostly cooked through, about 3 minutes. Then flip or toss the chicken and cook for about 1 more minute until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat of the pan to medium-low. Pick out any burnt bits but do not wipe the skillet clean. Dissolve the corn starch in the chicken stock, then when fully combined, add to the pan (be careful, this may splatter with the remaining oil).
- Let the chicken stock mixture come to a simmer, then slowly whisk in the yogurt, a few tablespoons at a time. I like to use a flat whisk for this step.
- Once combined and simmering again, add the garlic, parmesan cheese, and the ranch seasoning powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low until ready to use.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce, toss until it's fully coated, and remove from heat. Top with the cooked chicken, gently folding it into the pasta, then top with bacon bits, some extra parmesan (optional) and the chopped chives. Serve immediately.
Notes
When prepared with bone broth, a whole batch of this sauce has only 375 calories but packs 38 grams protein (and a ton of flavor)! Compare this to the popular Chicken Bacon Ranch recipe on All Recipes, where the sauce has 800 calories and only 19 grams of protein (with batch size adjusted to match).
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25 batchCalories: 480kcalProtein: 36g
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