Baked pasta with chicken, leeks, and bacon is a recipe that allows you to prepare and serve an original, tasty, and different pasta dish. Perfect for everyday lunch or dinner, it’s a complete main dish. Admit it, even at your place, chicken breast is always in the fridge, but it’s always cooked the same way in the end. So, here’s a simple idea to use it: a delicious baked pasta with chicken, leeks, and bacon.
Not to be missed
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 12.3 oz rigate pasta
- 10.5 oz chicken breast (sliced)
- 2 leeks
- 7 oz smoked bacon (diced)
- 2.1 cups béchamel sauce
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 3.5 oz provolone (diced)
- 1.8 oz grated Parmesan (about)
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pot for boiling pasta
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Kitchen knife
- 1 Low-sided saucepan
- 1 Oven dish
Steps
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it al dente, and set aside a bit of the cooking water. Clean the leeks by removing the ends, wash, dry, and slice them into rounds (use only the white part). Cut the chicken breast slices into strips. Cut the provolone into small cubes. In a low-sided saucepan, heat the oil, add the bacon, sliced leeks, and let them soften over low heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken, brown it, and cook it through, adding a little hot water if necessary. When it’s well browned, turn off the heat. Stir in the béchamel sauce and mix. Season with salt. If needed, thin the sauce a bit with the pasta cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the saucepan and toss it with the sauce. Add the provolone, grated Parmesan, and mix. Pour the pasta into an oven dish, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and bake at 356°F (180°C) for 20/25 minutes or until nicely browned and au gratin. Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
For the recipe, I was inspired by Fior Fiore in Cucina from September 2024, making adjustments to the ingredients to my taste.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What can I substitute for provolone?
You can use another cheese of your choice. Asiago also works great for my taste in this preparation.
What can I substitute for smoked bacon?
With sweet bacon or speck.
