Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Fresh Summer Veggies

Ingredients

• ¾ pound penne pasta
• 4 strips bacon, diced into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 (10 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound grilled chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning it now and then until it’s nice and crispy, which should take about 10 minutes. Once it’s done, drain the bacon on some paper towels and leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet.

Step 2

Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook it over medium heat until it turns golden and soft, roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and garlic, and keep cooking until they’re nicely browned, about 10 more minutes.

Step 3

Now, add the grilled chicken pieces and zucchini to the pan. Cook everything together until the zucchini is tender but still has a little bite, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the fresh tomatoes and let them warm through for about 5 minutes.

Step 4

While that’s going on, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne pasta until it’s al dente, usually about 11 minutes. Drain the pasta and put it in a big bowl.

Step 5

Finally, mix the veggie and chicken mixture into the pasta. Stir in some Parmesan cheese and season everything with black pepper to taste. Give it a good mix, and it’s ready to serve!