Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Print View)
Tender chicken and pasta coated in a velvety garlic-Parmesan cream sauce, perfect for weeknight dinners.
# Ingredient List:
→ Chicken
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 freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3.5 oz)
06 - 1/2 cup whole milk
→ Aromatics and Herbs
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
→ Pantry Staples
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How to Make:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously 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 - While the pasta cooks, season the chicken strips generously with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the butter and minced garlic, sautéing for about 1 minute until fragrant and lightly softened, being careful not to let the garlic brown.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese, allowing each addition to melt smoothly before adding more. Continue whisking until the sauce is velvety and free of lumps.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet, tossing everything together so the sauce coats each 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 red pepper flakes if desired.
06 - Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and toss gently. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, garnished with additional shaved Parmesan and a final scatter of parsley leaves.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one pan while the pasta cooks, so you are not juggling five pots like a circus act.
- It tastes like something you would pay twenty two dollars for at a neighborhood Italian spot, but it costs a fraction of that and takes forty minutes tops.
02 -
- If you add the Parmesan to a violently boiling sauce it will clump and separate into stringy strands, so keep the heat at a gentle simmer and whisk patiently.
- The sauce thickens dramatically as it sits off the heat, so pull it from the stove when it looks slightly thinner than you want it.
03 -
- Dry the chicken strips with a paper towel before they hit the pan because moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need because you cannot get it back once it is gone, and you will almost always want a little more when serving.