Creamy chicken and asparagus pasta: Perfect with bacon

It can be hard to reconcile pasta meals with healthy, nutrient-focused diets. Carbs are important, yes, but what about protein and fiber? Cooking Classy's Jaclyn has set out to provide a full, filling and guilt-free pasta dish for those who'd like to have their pasta-flavored cake and eat it too. She's achieved that by creating a recipe that allies yummy, comforting creamy pasta with flavorful, fortifying chicken and asparagus – plus a touch of bacon to make everything even better.

Jaclyn's secret to making this Alfredo recipe is using Neufchâtel cheese instead of regular cream cheese. French by origin according to The Kitchn, Neufchâtel – or the version of it found in American stores, at least – is essentially a "light" cream cheese, providing much less milk fat at the cost of a barely noticeable decrease in flavor. This allows it to make for a much lighter Alfredo sauce, which does tend to be incredibly heavy. Here is a full list of ingredients.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt, plus more for sauce
1/4 freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sauce
12 oz. penne pasta
1 lb. asparagus
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup milk, 1% recommended
1/4 cup cream or half and half
3 oz. Neufchâtel cheese
1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
4-5 slices bacon (optional)

Naturally, if you'd like to go all the way with this recipe and keep it as healthy as possible, the bacon can be left out to prioritize the nutrient-rich ingredients. The ever-reliable penne pasta is used here, but as usual, feel free to swap it out for something more daring if you're feeling experimental.

Check out the original recipe on Cooking Classy, and share this article with your friends!