Creamy Chicken and Pasta
Creamy chicken and pasta is an easy, almost one pot meal. Comforting and tasty, you’re sure to enjoy this variation on chicken alfredo.
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Move over Olive Garden.
This creamy chicken and pasta puts your chicken alfredo to shame.
Granted, this creamy chicken pasta isn’t exactly chicken alfredo, but its creamy, cheesy sauce is very similar.
The difference?
A glug of white wine.
And yes, glug is the technical term there.
The white wine deglazes the pan you make the chicken in and gives the sauce a background of acidity that balances out all the rich buttery flavor.
The result?
Italian inspired comfort food at its finest.
Perfect for cozy nights in and even dinner parties.
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
You’ll need the following ingredients to make creamy chicken pasta:
- Heavy Cream – You could use half and half or milk, but you may need to adjust the amount you use so you don’t create a soupy pasta.
- Butter – The butter adds richness and flavor.
- Garlic – We really only give you suggestions about how much to add. You gotta add as much you want, you really can’t go wrong.
- Chicken Breast – You’ll want to cut this into bite-sized pieces. You could short cut this a bit using left over grilled Italian chicken, roasted chicken, or rotisserie chicken. We prefer breast meat, but you could use your favorite cuts of chicken.
- White Wine – You can use your favorite white wine or pick up the most 8ish dollar bottle you can find if you don’t drink white wine.
- Spices – Make it easy on yourself and just get an Italian seasoning blend. We also use some garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pasta – We use alfredo noodles because this is an Americanized version of chicken alfredo, but you could use just about any pasta you like.
- Parmesan Cheese – Grate your own or use pregrated Parmesan cheese to help add flavor and thicken the cream sauce.
For equipment, all you need is:
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Pasta
1. Cook the chicken and pasta.
Before starting on your chicken, start a pot of water heating to a boil.
Cook the pasta while you prepare the chicken.
Dice your chicken in to bite-sized pieces and crush your garlic.
Melt the butter over medium heat and then add the garlic.
Add in the chicken and seasonings and saute in the garlic and butter until golden on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
If you are using pre-cooked chicken, you just need to toss the chicken pieces with the garlic butter to warm it through before moving on to the next step.
2. Add in the wine.
Once the chicken has fully cooked, pour in the wine.
Stir and scrap the bottom of the skillet to lift up any browned bits.
Let the wine cook down by half.
3. Finish the cream sauce.
When the wine cooks down, add in the cooked pasta.
You can do this directly from the pot using tongs or drain the pasta first.
Give the chicken and wine sauce a toss to coat.
Next, add in the cream and toss the chicken, pasta, and cream together.
The sauce will seem a little thin at first but will thicken as you add the cheese in.
Add in the parmesan cheese and mix it in.
If the cream sauce is too thick, add in a small amount of cream, but if it is too thin, mix in a little more parmesan cheese.
Serve with a side salad, garlic bread, bread, or your favorite sides.
Serving
Creamy chicken pasta is a filling meal.
It pairs well with a side of veggies, a salad, bread, and white wine.
You can also mix in some additional cheese, roasted broccoli, spinach, or sundried tomatoes for add flavor and textures.
Storing
Like a lot of pastas, creamy chicken and pasta is best served fresh from the skillet.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
You can reheat the creamy chicken pasta on plate or bowl in the microwave for a few seconds.
We recommend, if you can, placing it back in a skillet and adding a bit of cream to revitalize the pasta as you gently warm if over medium-low heat.
Using this method helps to make the chicken pasta creamy again.
Tips and Tricks
- Timing is key with this recipe (don’t worry, it won’t fall apart if you mess it up). If you start cooking your pasta around when you start your chicken sauteeing, they should both be ready around the same time. You can then add the finished pasta directly to the skillet with the cream and chicken. Nothing will get screwed up if you are not precise on this, but it tends work out nicely.
- Chop the butter into 1-2 tablespoon pieces for easier melting.
- You can toss in sundried tomatoes and spinach for added flavor and texture.
- Fettucine noodles work well, but just about any thicker pasta type will also work for creamy chicken pasta. Avoid angel hair or thin spaghetti so the sauce doesn’t over power the delicate noodles.
Love a good creamy chicken pasta? Try these
Love Italian style meals and pasta? Italian is my speciality, so be sure to check out these:
And for a less creamy take on chicken pasta try this Chicken Spaghetti Pesto.
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Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large pasta pot
- 1 Tongs optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettucine
- 1 pound chicken (about two small breasts or one large one)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper add these to taste
Instructions
- Start a pot of water boiling. As it heats, cut your chicken into small, bite sized pieces and crush or dice the garlic.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the garlic. Allow to saute for about 1 minute and then add in the chicken and Italian seasoning blend as well as salt and pepper.
- Saute the chicken as you cook your pasta according to the package's instructions.
- When the chicken is a golden-brown color, pour in the white and scrap an browned bits off the bottom of the skillete. Allow it to reduce by about half.
- Add in the cooked pasta either directly from the pot using tongs or after straining it.
- Pour in the heavy cream and Paremesan cheese and toss to combine.
- Serve hot from the skillet with fresh bread, garlic bread, and more cheese.
