Description

This easy Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta is one of the best dinner ideas when you need a quick and simple meal that still feels special and healthy enough for a homemade favorite. It works for weeknight dinner and meal prep and even for a holiday table potluck brunch or party spread. Tender chicken and pasta are coated in a rich parmesan sauce for a comforting dish that tastes restaurant style with everyday ingredients.

Ingredients

2 medium boneless skinless chicken breast
12 ounces fettuccine pasta
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

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Instructions

The chicken is cut into uneven strips and then coated with salt and pepper and garlic powder so the surface looks lightly dusted and no longer plain and glossy.
The chicken changes from pale and soft to opaque and lightly golden with browned edges and the pieces shrink a little and look firmer while a few spots color more deeply than others.
The dry fettuccine turns soft and flexible and the strands swell and drape into loose ribbons that tangle together with a smooth pale surface instead of a stiff shape.
Butter and garlic melt together and then the cream turns warm and slightly thicker and once the parmesan is added the sauce becomes smoother and heavier with tiny uneven melted bits that slowly disappear into a pale creamy coating.
The loose pasta ribbons are added to the sauce and they go from plain and separate to fully coated and glossy while the strands cling together in creamy folds and the sauce settles into the spaces between them.
The golden chicken is layered over and through the creamy pasta and the colors contrast right away and then everything settles into one finished dish with slight browning on the chicken and uneven sauce clinging to the noodles and scattered parsley adding a fresh green finish.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Season the chicken well before cooking so every bite tastes balanced.
Grate the parmesan finely so it melts into the cream more easily.
Reserve pasta water because it helps the sauce stay silky instead of heavy.
Serve the pasta right away for the creamiest texture and best finish.

Storage: Let the pasta cool and then store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. When reheating add a small splash of milk or cream and warm it gently so the sauce turns smooth again instead of looking tight and heavy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian American