Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken Recipe

Today I’m bringing you the ultimate cozy dinner, the one that makes you forget all your worries and just soak in the deliciousness: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken. This dish is a true celebration of comfort food, marrying tender chicken strips seasoned with paprika and garlic powder with the silkiest, most flavorful homemade garlic-parmesan sauce. It’s ready in just 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight indulgence that feels like a fancy Italian restaurant meal. Trust me, every strand of pasta is coated in creamy, cheesy goodness, and it’s absolutely a game-changer for your dinner rotation!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ultimate Comfort: This is a soul-warming, rich, and creamy dish that satisfies those big pasta cravings every time.
• Ready in 30 Minutes: Seriously, from prep to table, this dinner comes together super fast, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
• That Sauce is UNREAL: We build a lush, velvety sauce from scratch using fresh garlic, chicken broth, and heavy cream—no need for jarred sauces here!
• Customizable: It’s a fantastic base for adding extra veggies like spinach, mushrooms, or sundried tomatoes if you want to sneak in more goodness.

Ingredients

All you need for this luscious pasta dish is a trip to your pantry and fridge! Gathering the right components is key to that beautiful, velvety sauce.

• Olive Oil: This is our cooking foundation; perfect for getting that golden crust on the chicken.
• Chicken Breasts: We slice these into thin strips to ensure they cook quickly and evenly, soaking up all the seasoning magic.
• Paprika and Garlic Powder: Our secret weapon for perfectly seasoned chicken that adds warmth and flavor before it even touches the sauce.
• Salt and Pepper: The essentials! Always season your chicken well to layer in the flavor.
• Fettuccine or Spaghetti: The classic shape for catching that beautiful, thick sauce. Fettuccine is the traditional choice, but spaghetti works just as well!
• Unsalted Butter: The rich fat base that helps us start building the roux and sautéing the garlic.
• Garlic (Minced): Go for fresh! Five cloves might sound like a lot, but this is a garlic parmesan sauce—it’s where all the magic happens.
• All-Purpose Flour: This is what helps us thicken the sauce, creating a quick, simple roux (a flour/fat paste) to give the sauce its velvety body.
• Chicken Broth: The liquid base for our sauce. It adds savory depth and thins the roux perfectly before adding the cream.
• Heavy Cream: The star of the show! This makes the sauce incredibly rich, smooth, and creamy.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated, if possible! It melts much smoother than pre-shredded and provides that essential salty, nutty, cheesy goodness.
• Red Pepper Flakes (Optional): Just a tiny pinch for a warm little kick that cuts through the richness—don’t skip this if you like a little zing!
• Chopped Parsley: This is our fresh, bright finish! It adds color and a light, herby note at the end.

Note: The exact measurements for these ingredients, along with the full, printable recipe card, will be right under this article!

How to Make the Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

It’s time to channel your inner Italian chef! This recipe moves fast, so have your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

Step 1: Cook and Season the Chicken

Start by slicing your chicken breasts into thin strips. Season them generously with the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 5–6 minutes until it’s golden on the outside and fully cooked through. Once done, scoop the chicken out and set it aside—don’t wipe out the skillet, we want all those yummy browned bits left behind!

Step 2: Cook the Pasta

While the chicken is cooking, get your pasta going! Cook your fettuccine or spaghetti in salted boiling water according to the package directions until perfectly al dente. Here’s a pro tip: before you drain the pasta, scoop out about $1/2$ cup of that starchy cooking water. It’s liquid gold for thinning the sauce later if it gets too thick!

Step 3: Start the Sauce Base

In that same skillet (over medium heat now), melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and sauté it for just 1–2 minutes until it smells wonderfully fragrant. Be careful not to let it brown or burn, or it will taste bitter!

Step 4: Whisk in the Roux

Sprinkle the flour over the fragrant garlic and whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds. This creates a quick paste, or roux, which is the key to a beautifully stable, thick sauce.

Step 5: Thicken the Sauce

Slowly pour in the chicken broth while continuously whisking to ensure you don’t get any lumps. Once smooth, add the heavy cream. Let this mixture simmer for just 2–3 minutes. You’ll notice it starts to thicken up beautifully right before your eyes!

Step 6: Add the Cheese

Remove the skillet from the heat, or reduce it to low, and stir in the grated parmesan cheese until it’s fully melted and the sauce is perfectly smooth and velvety. If you feel like your sauce is getting too thick, splash in a spoonful or two of that reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Step 7: Combine and Toss

Return the cooked chicken strips to the skillet and mix them well into the sauce. Now, add the drained pasta and toss gently—get every single strand coated in that glorious, creamy garlic parmesan sauce!

Step 8: Serve and Enjoy

Sprinkle with your fresh chopped parsley and those optional red pepper flakes. Give it one last little toss, and serve this comforting meal warm immediately. Seriously, this one’s a game-changer!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Always Reserve Pasta Water: That starchy liquid is your safety net! If your sauce becomes too thick while adding the cheese or tossing the pasta, a splash of pasta water will bring it back to the perfect, silky consistency.
• Use Freshly Grated Parmesan: Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents that make it melt poorly and result in a grainy sauce.¹ Freshly grated melts smooth and tastes much better!
• Don’t Overcook the Garlic: Keep a close eye on your minced garlic. Cooking it for only 1–2 minutes ensures it’s fragrant but not burnt, which would ruin the sauce’s flavor.
• Season as You Go: Make sure you season the chicken and taste the sauce for salt and pepper after adding the cheese. Parmesan is salty, so season at the end to avoid over-salting!

How to Serve

This pasta is a complete meal all on its own, but here are a few ways to make it extra special and pair it beautifully:

• Fresh Greens: Pair this rich dish with a simple, vibrant green salad dressed with a bright lemon vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
• Crusty Bread: You absolutely need a nice loaf of crusty Italian bread to mop up every last bit of that luscious sauce!
• Wine Pairing: A crisp, light white wine like Pinot Grigio or a dry Rosé would be an excellent companion to this creamy dish.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Note that the sauce will absorb into the pasta upon cooling, so it will be thicker the next day.

Freezing

Due to the heavy cream and cheese, this sauce does not freeze and thaw well, as dairy-based sauces tend to separate. I recommend making this recipe fresh!

Reheating

The best way to reheat is gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of milk, cream, or chicken broth while stirring to help loosen the sauce and bring back its creamy texture.

FAQs

Can I use different types of pasta for this recipe?

Absolutely! While fettuccine and spaghetti are classics for this creamy sauce, you can easily swap in other hearty shapes like penne, rotini, or rigatoni. Just make sure whatever shape you choose has plenty of grooves or surface area to hold onto that gorgeous garlic parmesan sauce!

How can I make this dish lighter?

You can certainly lighten this up a bit! Instead of using all heavy cream, you could substitute up to half of it with half-and-half or whole milk. It won’t be quite as rich, but it will still be delicious. You can also swap the flour-based roux for a cornstarch slurry (mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water) to thicken the sauce at the end.

What vegetables can I add to the pasta?

This dish is super versatile! To boost the nutrition and color, you can add baby spinach (stirred in at the very end until wilted), sautéed mushrooms, or some sun-dried tomatoes right when you add the chicken back into the sauce. Broccolini or roasted asparagus also make lovely additions.

Can I substitute the chicken with another protein?

Yes! You can easily swap the chicken for shrimp—just sear the shrimp and remove them before starting the sauce, then add them back in at the end. For a vegetarian option, simply omit the chicken entirely and add extra vegetables or maybe some cannellini beans for a protein boost.