Pasta Tossed with Chicken, Bacon, and Seasonal Vegetables

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

Directions

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 done, transfer the bacon to some paper towels to drain, but keep 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet. Next, add the onion to the skillet and cook it over medium heat until it turns golden, around 5 to 10 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and garlic, cooking everything together until they’re nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Then, add the grilled chicken and zucchini to the pan, cooking just until the zucchini is tender but still has a bit of bite, roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the tomatoes, and let everything sit for about 5 minutes so the tomatoes can warm through. While that’s happening, cook the penne in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until it’s al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a big serving bowl, then mix in the veggie and chicken mixture. Finish by stirring in some Parmesan cheese and seasoning with black pepper to taste.