Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Print Page)

Juicy chicken and pasta coated in a velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce, ready in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz fettuccine or penne pasta

→ Dairy

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - ½ cup heavy cream
05 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - ⅓ cup whole milk

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

→ Pantry & Seasonings

09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, season the sliced chicken breasts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken slices in a single layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
04 - In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
05 - Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then gradually whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted and the sauce is silky smooth. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out by stirring in the reserved pasta water a splash at a time. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs if using.
06 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are evenly coated in the creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Divide among serving bowls immediately while hot. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and an extra shower of grated Parmesan if desired. Serve alongside crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you sear the chicken in, so every caramelized bit gets folded right back into the pasta.
  • It tastes like something from a neighborhood Italian restaurant but uses ingredients you probably already have sitting in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • If the sauce looks broken or oily, take the pan off the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of pasta water to bring it back together.
  • Grate the Parmesan while it is cold from the fridge because warm cheese turns gummy against the grater and clumps instead of melting smoothly.
03 -
  • Do not wash the skillet between the chicken and the sauce because those browned bits stuck to the bottom are pure concentrated flavor.
  • Serve the pasta the moment it is ready because creamy Parmesan sauces thicken fast as they cool and are never quite the same after sitting.

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