Description
This creamy italian chicken pasta brings together tender chicken and silky noodles in a sauce that coats each bite with rich, savory flavor. You get a comforting dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes that feels like you’ve been cooking all day.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Pasta:
- 1 pound chicken breast, diced
- 8 ounces pasta (penne or fettuccine)
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Sauce and Dairy:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 cup chicken stock
- 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh parsley for garnish, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and add your 8 ounces of pasta, cooking it for the time listed on the package until it reaches an al dente texture, then drain it in a colander.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and set your heat to medium-high, allowing the oil to get hot before you add your 1 pound of diced chicken breast.
- Season your chicken with salt and pepper as it cooks for 6 to 8 minutes at medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the pieces turn golden and cook through completely.
- Transfer your cooked chicken to a clean plate and reduce your skillet’s heat to medium.
- Add your 3 minced garlic cloves directly to the skillet and let them cook for about 1 minute at medium heat until they become fragrant.
- Pour 1 cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of chicken stock into your skillet, then sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and stir everything together.
- Let your cream mixture simmer for 2 minutes at medium heat so the flavors can meld together properly.
- Return the cooked chicken to your skillet along with the drained pasta and ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Toss everything together for 2 to 3 minutes at medium heat until the pasta gets fully coated and heated through.
- Transfer your finished dish to serving plates and top each portion with chopped fresh parsley for color and freshness.
Notes
- Cut your chicken into uniform pieces so everything cooks at the same rate and stays tender throughout.
- Don’t skip the al dente pasta step because it continues cooking slightly when tossed with the hot sauce and won’t turn mushy.
- Stir the cream sauce gently and avoid letting it boil hard, which can cause the cream to separate and look broken.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with half-and-half or mix Greek yogurt with a little pasta water to keep the sauce creamy without as much fat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 13-14 minutes
- Category: Simmered Chicken
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 630 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg