Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (Printable)
Tender chicken and fettuccine smothered in a velvety garlic-Parmesan cream sauce. Ready in 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
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# Directions:
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 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.
02 - Pat the chicken strips dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
04 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. 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.
05 - Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then gradually whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese. Continue whisking until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce is silky and smooth.
06 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet, tossing everything together so the sauce coats each strand or piece evenly. Splash in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency. Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
07 - Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and toss gently one last time. Plate immediately, garnishing each portion with additional Parmesan and a few parsley leaves. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one skillet and clings to every single strand of pasta like it was meant to be there.
- It feels like something you ordered at a restaurant, but it takes barely forty minutes from your cutting board to the dinner table.
02 -
- If you add the Parmesan to a boiling or aggressively bubbling sauce it will seize and turn clumpy, so keep the heat at a gentle simmer and stir patiently.
- That reserved pasta water is not optional, because the starch in it helps the sauce cling to the noodles rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
03 -
- Grate your Parmesan as finely as you can manage, because finer shreds melt seamlessly into the sauce while thick shreds leave stubborn lumps no amount of whisking can fix.
- Let the chicken rest for a couple minutes after searing before you slice or add it back to the pasta, because this locks in the juices and keeps every bite tender.