Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (Printable)
Juicy chicken and fettuccine smothered in a velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce. Pure comfort on a plate.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz fettuccine or penne pasta
→ Dairy
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - ½ cup heavy cream
05 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - ⅓ cup whole milk
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
→ Pantry & Seasonings
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, season the thinly sliced chicken breasts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
03 - In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
04 - Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Gradually whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a handful at a time, until fully melted and the sauce is silky smooth. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with small splashes of the reserved pasta water until it reaches the desired consistency. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs if using.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet. Toss everything together, coating the pasta and chicken evenly in the creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Divide among plates and serve immediately. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and an extra shower of grated Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce clings to every strand of pasta like it was meant to be there, and you will catch yourself scraping the skillet with a spatula just to get the last bit.
- It comes together in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta, which means weeknight dinners feel indulgent without the wait.
02 -
- If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, take it off the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold pasta water to bring it back together.
- Grating the Parmesan as finely as possible is the difference between a smooth sauce and one with grainy floating cheese bits that never quite melt.
03 -
- Cut your chicken into evenly sized pieces so nothing is overcooked and rubbery while you wait for thicker pieces to finish.
- Take the skillet off the heat before adding the cheese because residual warmth melts it gently and prevents that grainy separated texture.