Description
A comforting family dish featuring tender chicken, creamy garlic sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 lb (450 g) twisted pasta (fusilli, penne, or rotini)
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4–5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated preferred)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- Fine salt & black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Season & Sear the Chicken: Season chicken cubes with salt, pepper, and ½ tsp Italian seasoning. In a skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat, add chicken, and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Build the Garlic Cream Base: Add remaining butter to the skillet, sauté minced garlic and red pepper flakes for 30-60 seconds. Pour in chicken broth and scrape browned bits. Stir in heavy cream and remaining Italian seasoning, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Melt the Parmesan: Reduce heat to low, sprinkle in Parmesan, and stir until melted and smooth.
- Combine the Chicken, Pasta, and Sauce: Return chicken and add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water to adjust consistency if needed.
- Finish & Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Feel free to substitute chicken breast with thighs or venison, and adjust the spice level according to your preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: pasta, chicken, creamy sauce, family dinner, Italian