Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (Printer-Friendly)
Tender chicken and fettuccine smothered in a rich garlic Parmesan cream sauce. Comforting Italian-American classic.
# What You'll 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 - Pat the chicken breast slices dry and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 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 tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. 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 — do not let it boil. Gradually whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt smoothly before adding more. If the sauce seems too thick, loosen it with small splashes of the reserved pasta water until it reaches a silky, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs if using.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, ensuring the sauce clings evenly to every strand or piece. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Divide among warmed plates or shallow bowls. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and an extra dusting of Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately while the sauce is still velvety and warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one pan while the pasta cooks, so everything finishes almost simultaneously.
- It tastes like something from a restaurant but relies entirely on grocery store staples you probably already have.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of milk, making it just as good the next day.
02 -
- Adding the Parmesan off the heat or over very low heat prevents it from clumping into stringy lumps instead of melting smoothly.
- Reserving the pasta water before draining is not optional because that starch is what binds the sauce to the noodles.
03 -
- Grate the Parmesan as finely as you can because larger shreds take longer to melt and leave an uneven texture in the sauce.
- Pat the chicken slices dry with a paper towel before seasoning so they sear instead of steaming in the pan.