Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Printable version)
Tender chicken and fettuccine smothered in a velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce, ready in 40 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ Meats
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
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
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 It:
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 on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through (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 allow it to melt, then stir in the minced garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden — do not let it brown.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer — do not let it boil. Gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt smoothly before adding more. Continue whisking until the sauce is velvety and homogeneous.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet, tossing with tongs to coat everything evenly in the sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
06 - Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, toss gently one final time, and divide among warmed plates. Garnish each portion with additional Parmesan and a few parsley leaves. Serve immediately while the sauce is at its creamiest.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one skillet and clings to every single noodle like it was made for it.
- It tastes like something you ordered at a cozy Italian restaurant, but it takes barely forty minutes from your own kitchen.
02 -
- If you add the Parmesan too quickly or over high heat it will clump into stringy lumps instead of melting smoothly into the sauce.
- That reserved pasta water is the difference between a sauce that clings and a sauce that pools at the bottom of the bowl, so never skip scooping it out.
03 -
- Let the skillet cool for thirty seconds off the heat before adding the cream because boiling cream can break and turn greasy instead of smooth.
- Grate your Parmesan as finely as possible using the small holes of a box grater so it dissolves seamlessly into the hot liquid.