Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

Juicy chicken and pasta coated in a velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce — pure comfort on a plate.

# 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
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. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.
02 - Pat the chicken breast slices dry and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chicken in a single layer for 4–5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer — do not boil. Gradually whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt smoothly before adding more. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with small splashes of the reserved pasta water until it reaches a silky, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs if using.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium-low heat until the pasta is evenly coated and the chicken is warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Divide among warmed plates or shallow bowls. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and an extra dusting of Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately while the sauce is still velvety and hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so every bit of flavor gets folded right back into the dish.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a restaurant but it honestly takes less effort than folding laundry.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, take it off the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of warm pasta water to bring it back together.
  • Adding the Parmesan gradually instead of all at once is the single biggest thing that separates a smooth sauce from a clumpy mess.
03 -
  • Do not let the cream come to a full boil at any point or it will scorch and leave you with an unpleasant taste.
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you need because you cannot get it back once the pasta is drained.

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