Prepare your ingredients. Wash and dry spinach leaves using a Salad Spinner. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Cut the chicken breast in half lenghtwise.

If the halves seem too thick, pound them with a rolling pin through a zip lock bag or plastic wrap on an even surface.

Season chicken with paprika, oregano, basil, salt, pepper. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil and once hot and sizzling cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and not sticking to the pan. If it sticks to the pan, it needs to be cooked longer. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast you may need to cook it longer than 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken onto a plate lined with a paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Slice it into thin slices (strips) against the grain (or you can cut it into bite sized pieces, cubes). Set aside. Chicken should be a minimum of 165 F.

Crispy bacon. Wipe down the bottom of the skillet from darkened bits and fry bacon until desired crispiness. I don’t like very crispy bacon in pasta so I cook it just a little bit. Set aside.

Creamy parmesan sauce. In the same skillet with all the bacon drippings and bits (the skillet needs to be large and deep enough to fit the creamy sauce and pasta. Or use a dutch oven or large pot for this), add onion, saute for a couple of minutes and follow with garlic. Saute another 1 minute.

Add the broth, simmer for 5 minutes, add the cream and stir in the pasta (uncooked). The starch from the pasta will help to thicken the sauce.

Make sure to reduce the heat to low before adding the cream. Take it to a gentle simmer and until pasta is cooked al dente. About 10-15 minutes.

Once the sauce is thickened, stir in parmesan, (I also like to add a spoonful of butter here for extra creamy flavor!) and spinach. Toss in the sauce until fully coated, and top with chicken strips.

Serve with more fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (or leave this one out so the entire family can enjoy!). Happy cooking!

Please note, that the sauce will start to thicken even more, so it’s best to enjoy the dish right away.