Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce

"Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce," from Make It Like a Man!

Two weeks ago, I made a brie-and-bacon sauce for some salmon, and I had a lot of it left over. So the next day, I used it to make Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce. I loved the sauce just as much in this context. The pasta seems to amplify the sauce’s cheesiness, and the bacon … chicken’s been best friends with bacon even before that fateful day it cross the road.

½ batch brie-and-bacon sauce
12 oz. casarecce, or whatever pasta shape you prefer
4 cups of broccoli florets (optional, as an accompaniment)
4 chicken breasts
Salt
1 heaping Tbs fine breadcrumbs
1 heaping Tbs flour
1 heaping tsp bacon fat
Olive oil
¼ cup white wine
1 tsp stone-ground mustard
4 Tbs cooked, chopped bacon

Start with the brie sauce. You can make it in advance; it reheats perfectly. Cook pasta according to package directions. (Meanwhile, steam the broccoli, or cook it in your favorite way.) While that’s going on, get started on the chicken.

There are many ways to prepare chicken breasts; use your favorite method, or try this: preheat a large skillet over low heat. (For some types of pans, preheating isn’t necessary or recommended.) Remove the chicken from its packaging and, without rinsing it or patting it dry, place it on a cutting board. Generously salt both sides. Sprinkle half the crumbs over them and rub it in. Sprinkle half the flour over them, and rub that in, too. Flip the chicken and repeat with remaining crumbs and flour. Spend some time rubbing the chicken into the flour that remains on the board, getting it on all sides and into every nook and cranny. Gently shake off excess.

Add fat to the pan and raise the heat to med-high. Once the oil’s hot, add the chicken to the pan and cover it with a splatter shield. Fry until deeply browned, about 5 minutes, shifting the breasts’ positions in the pan periodically, if necessary, to promote even browning. Flip and repeat, supplementing the fat with olive oil, if necessary. Use an instant-read thermometer to test the thickest part of the thickest breast, and remove from pan when the temperature reaches 160°F. Rest chicken on a plate.

Add wine to the pan and raise the temperature to high. Deglaze the pan. Add mustard. Stir and reduce to a syrup. (You may need to tip the pan and let the liquid accumulate along the side of the pan as it reduces.) Off heat.

"Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce," from Make It Like a Man!

A crisp glass of chilled white wine goes beautifully with this dish.

Toss the pasta with the brie sauce and distribute among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with bacon. Nestle a chicken breast into of each portion. Spoon pan sauce over each. (There won’t be much more than a tsp of pan sauce per serving, but that’s all you need.)

Serve Chicken and Pasta in a Bacon and Brie Sauce with a chilled chardonnay.

Notes:

  1. Use a cutting board that can go into the dishwasher easily. Put it into the dishwasher as the chicken fries, to free up counter space (and so that you’re not tempted to use it for anything further, now that it’s had raw chicken on it).
  2. A heaping Tbs of breadcrumbs and a heaping Tbs of flour are not identical amounts, since flour heaps better on a spoon. The ratio is probably something like 4 parts flour to 1 part crumbs, or maybe 3:1. There’s a lot of wiggle room; you can just eyeball the mixture to your preferences.
"Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce," from Make It Like a Man!

All these flavors go together perfectly.

Large Blog Image

Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! This content was not solicited, nor written in exchange for anything.

Keep up with us on Bloglovin’

"Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce," from Make It Like a Man!

Unbelievably Good Black Olive Bread Recipe
Homemade Light Rye Bread with Onion, Garlic, Herbs, and Parmesan

33 thoughts on “Chicken over Pasta in a Brie and Bacon Sauce

  1. Brie and Bacon should be a food group all on its own. I’m so glad you added broccoli, so that way I can feel I’m eating healthy. Regardless, I would love this any day of the week!

    • The miLam crew insisted on broccoli. They said I was cheesing them unduely. But I love broccoli, so…

  2. That brie and bacon sauce sure is versatile. I like it! Do you think it’s freezable Jeff?

    Love how you’ve paired this chicken pasta dish with that chilled chardonnay too. Now you’re talking! 🙂

    • That’s a good question. I didn’t freeze any. I think you can, because it’s a white sauce with cheese (and sauces like that are supposedly freezable). Next time I make it, I’ll experiment and let you know.

  3. And now I know why the chicken crossed the road! Because bacon. Actually, that can serve as the answer to all questions in life. Seriously. If you’re ever asked a question you don’t know the answer to (or don’t want to answer), just say bacon. 🙂 Love this recipe…it sounds like one delicious plate of comfort food!
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Confetti Pasta Salad

    • It does add a bit of crispiness, and great color. But curry – that’s a great idea.

  4. Yum, this sounds very good, and sinfully rich.
    I’m surprised to hear the sauce reheats so well, but glad – us being only 2 people, I always seem to have leftovers that I hate to see go to waste.
    Jay recently posted…Zodiac: 10th Annivesary

    • Yeah, reheats all creamy and lovely. I don’t know why some do and some don’t; science. But this is one that does.

  5. mmm. . . this looks wonderful. I like how you made a new dish using the left-over sauce. You are so creative.

  6. I can just hang out on your site and not get a thing done. I just love your recipes and this chicken pasta dish has me wanting it for breakfast!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Website

CommentLuv badge