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Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Creamy chicken bacon ranch pasta with rigatoni coated in a thick ranch cream sauce, plus shredded chicken, crispy bacon crumbles, and melted cheddar pooling between the tubes. This easy pasta dinner brings cheesy ranch flavor to weeknights with a quick simmer-thicken-and-toss method.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or penne pasta
  • 1 lb Rigatoni or penne pasta Salted boiling water for cooking; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
Cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1.5 cup Cooked chicken, shredded
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 8 Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Garlic cloves, minced
Ranch seasoning mix
  • 1 packet (1 oz) Ranch seasoning mix
Heavy cream
  • 2 cup Heavy cream
Chicken broth
  • 1 cup Chicken broth
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1.5 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh chives for garnish
  • 1 Fresh chives for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then cook rigatoni (or penne) until al dente. Stir occasionally and stop when the pasta still has a firm bite, then reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
Make the ranch cream sauce
  1. In the same pot over medium heat, sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Keep it moving so it doesn’t brown.
  2. Add heavy cream and chicken broth, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Look for active gentle bubbling around the edges.
  3. Stir in ranch seasoning and simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Add shredded cheddar and grated parmesan, then stir until fully melted and smooth. Keep the heat medium-low once cheese starts melting to prevent separation.
Toss and serve
  1. Return drained pasta to the pot along with shredded chicken, then toss to coat thoroughly. If it looks tight or too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen.
  2. Top the pasta with crumbled bacon and fresh chives, then serve immediately. Finish with extra black pepper if desired.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, melt the cheeses over medium-low heat and toss right away so the sauce clings to the rigatoni. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; rewarm in a skillet with a splash of chicken broth or cream to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and increase the cheese slightly to help the sauce stay thick.