Description
One-pot chicken alfredo pasta brings creamy comfort to weeknight dinners. Italian-inspired flavors blend seamlessly in this simple yet satisfying meal you’ll want to make again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (454 g) chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz (226 g) fettuccine or penne pasta (uncooked)
- 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Sear Chicken: Heat olive oil in a spacious skillet over medium-high flame. Add seasoned chicken pieces, cooking until golden and thoroughly done, roughly 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Develop Sauce Foundation: Utilize the skillet’s remaining fond, reduce heat to medium, and introduce minced garlic. Swiftly stir to prevent burning and release aromatic notes.
- Create Creamy Base: Pour heavy cream and chicken broth into the skillet, whisking to generate a smooth sauce. Gradually incorporate Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously to prevent clumping.
- Cook Pasta: Submerge uncooked pasta directly into the creamy liquid, ensuring complete coverage. Cover and simmer, stirring periodically to prevent adherence and promote uniform cooking.
- Finalize Dish: Once pasta reaches al dente texture, reintegrate seared chicken into the creamy mixture. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and an additional Parmesan cheese sprinkle for enhanced flavor and visual elegance.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Seasoning: Use fresh herbs and high-quality Italian seasoning blend for deeper flavor profile, ensuring each chicken piece gets maximum taste absorption.
- Prevent Sauce Separation: Maintain medium-low heat when adding cheese to prevent breaking or curdling, whisking continuously creates smooth, silky Alfredo consistency.
- Pasta Cooking Technique: Choose short pasta varieties like penne or rotini for better sauce coverage and easier one-pot cooking experience, avoiding long noodles that complicate stirring.
- Dairy-Free Adaptation: Substitute heavy cream with coconut milk and nutritional yeast for lactose-intolerant preferences, maintaining creamy texture while offering alternative dietary options.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 670
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg