Quick Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Print View)

Tender chicken and pasta meld with garlic, creamy Parmesan sauce, and herbs for a quick, comforting meal.

# Components:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (approximately 17.6 oz)

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Dairy

03 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (60 g)
04 - ½ cup heavy cream (120 ml)
05 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter (30 g)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)

→ Stock & Seasonings

09 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (700 ml)
10 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
11 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Oil

13 - 1 tbsp olive oil

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Warm olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - Season chicken with salt, pepper, and half the Italian seasoning. Sauté until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
03 - Add chopped onion to the same skillet and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add uncooked pasta, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and most liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
05 - Lower heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until the sauce is creamy and cheese has melted.
06 - Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, toss to coat with sauce, and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Stir in chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy dinner.
  • The pasta absorbs the broth as it cooks, so you get flavor baked into every bite instead of just a coating.
  • Ready in 30 minutes flat, yet tastes like you fussed over it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of cooking the pasta directly in the broth; it's the reason this tastes so much better than just tossing cooked pasta with a sauce.
  • Add the cream before the Parmesan and stir constantly, otherwise the cheese can seize up and become grainy instead of creating a smooth sauce.
  • Taste as you go, especially with the salt, because the broth and Parmesan are already salty and you can always add more but you can't take it out.
03 -
  • Keep your Parmesan grater or microplane handy so you're grating the cheese fresh right before you need it; it makes a tangible difference in how smoothly it melts.
  • If your sauce seems too thin when the pasta is done, you can whisk together a teaspoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in to thicken things up slightly without adding more dairy.
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