Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

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This Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is a newfound favorite in our household. It’s a creamy sauce with a strong, but not too heavy garlic taste. The whole dish is incredibly filling, will impress anyone, and can be made ahead of time! Read on for the recipe and the answers to some questions you may have.

What kind of parmesan should I use for this recipe?

I used fresh parmesan. I grated out the amount that was needed and put the rest in the refrigerator. You can try to use the “shaky cheese” parmesan that you get in the pasta aisle, but the cheese may not melt as well. This would cause your sauce to be less smooth.

What if I forgot to reserve pasta water?

The reserved pasta water is used to thin out the cream sauce. The starch in the water helps the sauce adhere better to the noodles. The worst-case scenario is that you replace it with tap water. You may not notice a difference. Or, if you do, the difference is just that the sauce doesn’t stick to the pasta as well. Don’t rinse your pasta off when it’s done cooking. This applies to all recipes unless the recipe specifically calls for it to be rinsed.

Do I have to use chicken tenders for this recipe?

Nope! You can use 1 lb of any kind of chicken you prefer. Our family prefers chicken tenders or thin sliced chicken breasts.

Can Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta be made ahead of time?

Yes! I love that about this recipe. You can make it in three different steps and combine them all when ready. The first part is making the cream sauce. You can make this up to a day ahead of time. The second part is the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente and then keep it in the fridge for up to a day. The third step is the chicken. This can be cooked a day or two ahead of time as well. (Doing this though will mean that you will not get the additional flavor of assembling the dish in the pan that you cook the chicken in.)

I will make this for company and when I do, I will make all of the parts a few hours before the company arrives and then assemble it about 10 minutes before we want to eat.

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How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

In a saucepan on medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and saute the minced garlic until lightly browned. Add the remaining butter, ⅔ cups of parmesan cheese, 8 ounces of cubed cream cheese, and 1 cup of half and half. Stir the mixture gently until the cheeses are melted. Add  1 tsp of red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. Set aside.

If it’s not already, cook your pasta to al dente according to the package directions. When done, drain the pasta, reserving about ½- 1 cup of the pasta water.  Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder evenly on all sides.  In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees and both sides are golden brown.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside to rest.

Side note: If you’re looking for a dutch oven, I highly recommend this one.

In the same skillet (while still on medium heat), add a quarter cup of the reserved pasta water and use a wooden spoon or spatula to get the browned remnants from the cooked chicken up. Add the garlic cream sauce and the cooked pasta, stirring until incorporated. If the sauce is too thick, or not sticking to the pasta, add the pasta water, a quarter cup at a time until you’ve reached the desired consistency.

Dice or slice the chicken to the size you would like. Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir until everything is mixed together.

Serve hot and top with extra parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and/or parsley.  Serve with toasted bread or a side salad.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

A creamy sauce with a strong, but not too heavy garlic taste. The whole dish is incredibly filling, will impress anyone, and can be made ahead of time!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• dutch oven

Ingredients

  

• 8 tbsp butter (1 stick)
• 1 bulb of garlic minced
• 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
• 1 cup of half and half
• ¼-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley minced
• 1 lb pasta cooked to al dente (penne, ziti, or bow tie are best)
• ½-1 cup pasta water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb of chicken tenders or thinly cut chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Instructions

 

• In a saucepan on medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and saute the minced garlic until lightly browned.
• Add the remaining butter, ⅔ cups of parmesan cheese, 8 ounces of cubed cream cheese, and 1 cup of half and half. Gently stir the mixture until the cheeses are melted and everything is incorporated. Add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. Set aside.
• If it’s not already, cook your pasta to al dente according to the package directions. When done, drain the pasta, reserving about ½- 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder evenly on all sides.
• In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees and both sides are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside to rest.
• In the same skillet (while still on medium heat), add a quarter cup of the reserved pasta water and use a wooden spoon or spatula to get the browned remnants from the cooked chicken up. Add the garlic cream sauce and the cooked pasta, stirring until incorporated.
• If the sauce is too thick, or not sticking to the pasta, add the pasta water, a quarter cup at a time until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
• Dice or slice the chicken to the size you would like and add it back to the skillet, stirring until everything is mixed together.
• Serve hot and top with extra parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and/or parsley. This is great served with toasted bread or a side salad.

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