Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Golden seared chicken folded through fettuccine in a silky Parmesan cream sauce built on the browned bits left in the skillet — that's where all the flavor hides. One pan, pantry staples, and a restaurant-worthy creamy pasta on the table in 40 minutes
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Ingredients
Chicken & pasta
- 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 8 oz (225g) pasta (fettuccine, penne or spagetti)
Creamy Parmesan sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
To serve
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Method
- 1
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, per the package. Drain and set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and slice into bite-sized pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook the chicken 5–7 minutes until browned and cooked through, then remove and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet — that's the flavor base. Stir in the cream, Parmesan and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently on low for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Return the chicken to the skillet, add the drained pasta and toss until everything is coated in the creamy sauce. Serve immediately, scattered with fresh parsley.
- 2
Enjoy ..
Tips
- Don't skip scraping the browned bits when the broth goes in — deglazing is where the depth comes from.
- Sauce too thick? Loosen it with a splash of pasta water; the starch keeps it silky.
- Spinach, mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes all drop straight into the sauce if you want to stretch it.
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