Bacon and Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

The waiting is the worst part. Worse than knowing, worse than seeing the bottles, worse than the drive home from Clay's apartment with the smell of that sour kitchen still in my nose. The waiting is where your mind goes to the places you've told it not to go, and it goes anyway, because a father's mind doesn't take orders from a father's will. Not when his boy is in trouble.

I went to work every day this week because that's what you do. You frame walls and set joists and swing a hammer and the physical work holds you in the present tense where your body is, even when your head is thirty miles away in an apartment with the blinds drawn. The crew could tell something was off. Danny, my best framer, asked if I was alright on Wednesday and I said fine and he didn't ask again because construction men understand the word fine the same way miners do — it means stop asking.

Connie and I don't talk about it directly. We talk around it. She says have you heard from him. I say no. She says should we call. I say he has to call. Then we eat supper and watch television and don't watch television and go to bed and don't sleep. This is Tuesday. This is Wednesday. This is Thursday. The days are identical and endless and summer doesn't help because the daylight lasts until nine o'clock and there's nowhere to hide from the hours.

I cooked because cooking is the only thing that makes sense when nothing makes sense. Thursday night I made chicken and dumplings — Betty's recipe, the one with the thick rolled dumplings, not the drop kind. You start with a whole chicken simmered until it falls apart, then you pull the meat and strain the broth and roll the dumplings from flour and shortening and buttermilk, cut them into strips, and drop them into the boiling broth where they puff up and go soft and the whole pot turns into something that feels like being held. I made enough for eight people. There were two of us. I put the rest in containers for Clay's freezer, if he'll let me bring them over. If he's eating. If.

Betty called Sunday. She asked about the children in order — Travis, Amber, Clay — and when she got to Clay I said he's doing alright. She was quiet for a second too long, which means she knows I'm lying, because Betty has never once in eighty-one years been fooled by a Hensley man and she's not about to start. She said I'll pray on it. I said yes ma'am. That was the whole conversation about Clay, and it was enough.

That pot of chicken and dumplings fed my freezer more than it fed me, and by Friday I needed something else to do with my hands — something that would keep me standing at the stove long enough to get through the evening. This bacon and broccoli chicken Alfredo is the kind of recipe Betty would raise an eyebrow at for not being from scratch, but it’s thick and warm and it fills a kitchen with a smell that makes a house feel like somebody still lives in it, which some nights is the whole point. I made it for Connie and me, and we ate it, and that was enough.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz fettuccine or penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 strips bacon, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pot. Drain together and set aside.
Render the bacon. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan.
Cook the chicken. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and add chicken to the skillet with the bacon drippings. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside with the bacon.
Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet and let it melt. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Let it cook for 3–4 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.
Finish with cheese. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Parmesan a little at a time until fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
Combine and serve. Return the pasta, broccoli, chicken, and bacon to the skillet. Toss everything together until evenly coated in the sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Bacon and Broccoli Chicken Alfredo — Something Warm When the Waiting Is All You Have