Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (Printable view)
Tender chicken and fettuccine coated in a velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce, ready in just 40 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), sliced into strips
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz fettuccine or penne pasta
→ Dairy
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 1 cup (3.5 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (plus extra for garnish)
→ Pantry Staples
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, season the chicken strips generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium in the same skillet. Add the butter and let it melt, then stir in the minced garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden. Do not let it brown.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt smoothly before adding more. Continue whisking until the sauce is velvety and homogeneous.
05 - Add the cooked pasta and seared chicken to the skillet, tossing everything together so the sauce coats each strand or piece evenly. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it with the reserved pasta water, adding a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired silky consistency. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
06 - Sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley and toss gently one last time. Plate immediately, garnishing each serving with additional Parmesan and a few parsley leaves. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce clings to every single strand of pasta like it was made for it, because honestly it was.
- It feels like something you would order at a restaurant but you can pull it off in your sweatpants on a weeknight.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully, if you even have any, which in my experience is a big if.
02 -
- Adding Parmesan to a boiling or bubbling sauce will cause it to clump and separate, so pull the pan off heat for a moment before whisking it in gradually.
- Reserving that pasta water is not optional, the starch in it is what binds the sauce to the noodles and saves you from a greasy pool at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
- Grate your Parmesan as finely as possible using the small holes of a box grater so it melts seamlessly without leaving stringy lumps behind.
- Let the chicken rest for at least three minutes before adding it back to the pasta so the juices redistribute instead of running out into your sauce.