Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (Printable version)
Tender chicken and pasta coated in a rich, velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce for a comforting weeknight dinner.
# 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 (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
# How To:
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 - Pat the sliced chicken breasts dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange the chicken in an even layer and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the 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 - 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, allowing it to melt smoothly into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs if using.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are evenly coated in the creamy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Serve immediately in warm bowls, garnished with freshly chopped parsley and an extra shower of grated Parmesan if desired. Pair with a crisp white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one skillet and clings to every strand of pasta like it was meant to be there.
- It tastes like something from a restaurant but costs barely anything and takes under an hour from start to finish.
02 -
- If your sauce breaks or looks greasy the heat is too high so pull it off the burner and whisk in a splash of cold milk to bring it back together.
- Grating Parmesan off the block instead of using the green canister changed everything about how smooth my sauce became.
03 -
- Do not walk away while the garlic is cooking because it goes from golden and fragrant to bitter and burnt in about thirty seconds flat.
- Reserving that pasta water is the single most important step and I learned this the hard way after ending up with a sauce that was either too thick or broken more times than I care to admit.