Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

I’ve gotten into the habit of occasionally buying those hot roasted chickens from the grocery store.  They’re just so darned cheap and handy, not to mention tasty.  Last weekend, the Pie was out of town, and sometimes I forget to actually eat when he’s not around, so I bought the chicken to give me some incentive.  One leg at one meal, one leg at another, and I was set.  But I still had the body of the chicken left to deal with.  I dismantled the remainder of the carcass, including the breasts, and whipped up this quick pasta dish to greet the Pie when he came home.  He went back for seconds so I think I did a good job.

So.  Chicken.  You’ll need about 2 cups shredded chicken.

About 1 cup ranch dressing.

An onion, some garlic, and a head of broccoli.  Chop those up.

Cook 4 slices bacon.

Make them super crispy and then put them somewhere to drain.

Start your pot of boiling water to make your pasta.  You’ll need enough noodles for four.  I used linguini.

Grab a pot and chuck in a few tablespoons olive oil.  Add in the onions and cook until translucent and smelling fabulous.

Then add in the broccoli and garlic and stir that as well.

Next, add in a few pinches dry mustard and pepper and paprika (you’ll see the paprika added in a later photo but that’s because I had to wait for the Pie to pick it up from the store on his way home).

Pour in about 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, and the 1 cup ranch dressing.

Chuck in the chicken, then cut up the bacon and chuck that in as well.

Stir that to heat things up.  You’re not really going to want to cook this for a long time.

Then add in a few tablespoons pesto.  And some more cream if you want it thicker.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.  Dump the sauce over top and toss to coat.  Serve immediately, although it’s equally fantastic the next day.