Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta (Printable)
Silky garlic-Parmesan sauce tossed with seared sliced chicken and fettuccine for a rich, weeknight-ready pasta.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz fettuccine or linguine
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
→ Dairy
06 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
07 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, optional
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, following package instructions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Butterfly the chicken breasts and season both sides evenly with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs if using.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 5–6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely, and let rest.
04 - Reduce skillet heat to medium. Add butter, followed by onion, and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet to incorporate added flavor.
06 - Add heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in Parmesan cheese until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Thinly slice chicken breasts. Return chicken and cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing to combine and heating through. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency.
08 - Stir in chopped parsley. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It feels almost like cheating how quickly you can get restaurant-worthy creamy pasta on the table in under 40 minutes.
- If you crave comfort but also need to impress (or just satisfy yourself after a wild day), this sauce gently coaxes you back to balance.
02 -
- Once I walked away for five minutes and my garlic turned bitter—never be shy about lowering the heat during the onion and garlic step.
- Saving pasta water really is a game-changer—without it, your sauce risks going sticky instead of silky.
03 -
- If you accidentally over-thicken the sauce, just loosen it with more pasta water instead of cream for silkiness without heaviness.
- Always shred your own Parmesan—it melts into the sauce instead of clumping, and makes all the difference in depth of flavor.