Description
This Creamy Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta is comfort in a bowl: tender chicken, a silky garlic–Parmesan cream sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta. Rich, cozy, and weeknight-friendly—customize it with greens, spice, or lighter swaps to fit your style.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts or thighs – 2 large, boneless & skinless, cut into strips
- Pasta – 12 oz (fettuccine, penne, or spaghetti)
- Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- Butter – 2 tablespoons
- Garlic – 5 cloves, minced
- Heavy cream – 1 ½ cups
- Chicken broth – ½ cup
- Parmesan cheese – 1 cup, freshly grated
- Salt & black pepper – to taste
- Fresh parsley – chopped, for garnish
- Optional: red pepper flakes (for heat), fresh spinach (for added greens)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil salted water and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Make the sauce: In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Deglaze & enrich: Add chicken broth and heavy cream; stir to combine and gently simmer.
- Add the cheese: Stir in Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Combine: Return chicken to the skillet, add pasta (and spinach if using), and toss to coat.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Extra creamy secrets: Use freshly grated Parmesan; don’t brown the garlic; add a splash of pasta water if the sauce thickens; toss pasta directly in the sauce.
- Lighter swaps: Whole-wheat or chickpea pasta; Greek yogurt or light cream; add spinach, broccoli, or zucchini; reduce cheese slightly.
- Small portions/snacks: Halve ingredients and bake in ramekins topped with cheese for single-serving bakes.
- Sides: Green salad, roasted veggies, or fruit salad pair nicely.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or milk. Freezing not recommended (cream sauces may separate).
- Reliability tips: Keep pasta al dente; use room-temperature cream to reduce curdling risk; taste and balance salt/pepper before serving.
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: creamy chicken garlic Parmesan pasta, chicken Alfredo style pasta, garlic cream sauce, weeknight pasta dinner, Italian pasta, Parmesan pasta