Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta

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5 from 15 votes

Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta is an easy dinner recipe. Combining juicy chicken and pasta in a creamy garlic sauce.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: garlic chicken parmesan pasta

Servings:

Calories: 1034kcal

Author: Adrianne

Ingredients

Chicken

2 tbs olive oil Note 1
2 medium chicken breasts Note 2
¼ teaspoon salt Note 3
½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 3
1 tablespoon garlic chunky minced or 2-3 cloves finely chopped, Note 4

Parmesan Sauce

40 grams/3 tbs butter Note 5
1 tablespoon garlic chunky minced or 2-3 cloves finely chopped, Note 6
¼ teaspoon salt Note 7
2 tbs white wine vinegar Note 8
1 cup/250 ml heavy cream Note 10
1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated using a micro plane zester, Note 11

Pasta

500 grams/ 1 pound penne pasta Note 12
½ cup/125 ml reserved pasta water Note 13

Garnish (optional):

½ cup parsley leaves trimmed from stems (discarded) and finely chopped using a glass and kitchen scissors, Note 14
black pepper Note 15
parmesan cheese finely grated using a micro plane zester

Instructions

Chicken: use a knife and chopping board to slice each of the chicken breasts in half lengthways. Then season both sides with salt and pepper.
Cook chicken: place a large non stick frying pan on the stove top and turn the heat to high. Add the olive oil, 1 tbs minced or chopped garlic and the season chicken breast. Cook for 3-4 minutes then use kitchen tongs to flip the chicken to the other side and cook this side for 3-4 minutes also. Once the chicken is cooked, use a pair of kitchen tongs to transfer them out of the pan and onto a paper towel lined plate.
Parmesan sauce: next without rinsing or cleaning the pan used to cook the chicken add the butter and let it melt. Then add the remaining garlic, salt and white wine vinegar and cook for 1 minutes, stirring to combine as you go. Then reduce the heat to low, pour in cream and add the parmesan cheese. Use a wooden spoon to stir the sauce as the cheese melts until it is consistently combined.
Pasta: read and follow the package directions to cook the pasta in a medium sauce pan of boiling salted water. Moments before it is al dente (if you take a piece out and ensure it is a little bit chewy) use a heatproof jug to scoop out 1 -2 cup of the pasta water. Then use a colander over the sink to drain the pasta and discard the rest of the water.
Slice chicken: use a knife and slice the cooked chicken into long thin strips.
Combine: add the hot drained pasta to the parmesan sauce then measure and add ½ cup (125ml) of the pasta water. Next add ½ cup of chopped parsley and use a pair of tongs and toss to combine. Once the pasta and sauce is consistently combined add the sliced cooked chicken pieces and stir to gently fold them in and allow them to reheat.
Garnish: generously garnish the dish with black pepper, grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of additional chopped parsley. Provide bowls, forks and spoons for serving.

Notes

Note 1 - Olive oil: we use the olive oil in the initial stages of the recipe when we are cooking the chicken on the stove top.
Note 2 - Salt and pepper: we use cooking salt and a little bit of black pepper to season both sides of the chicken before we cook it.
Not 3 - Chicken: we want to use boneless skinless chicken breast. Or you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs and 4 will be the equivalent amount.
Note 4 - Garlic: this recipe has a good dose of garlic in it! We use it both to cook the chicken and also as a key ingredient in the creamy pasta sauce.
Note 5 - Butter: we use the butter as the starting point to making the parmesan sauce. I like to use a creamy French unsalted butter. We use salt as a separate ingredient in the sauce so we don't want to use salted butter.
Note -6 Garlic: this is the garlic that we use in the sauce. Chunky chopped or minced garlic or 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic will each work well.
Note 7 - Salt: we use this in the sauce as a means to season it and we only need to use a small amount of it.
Note 8 - White wine vinegar: we use the vinegar to give the parmesan cream sauce a little lift.
Note 9 - Cream: we want to use heavy cream for the recipe. This is different to dollop or cream cheese. It is the basis for the creamy pasta sauce.
Note 10 - Parmesan cheese: this cheese brings a ton of flavour and bold taste to the recipe. It is best freshly grated from a block using a micro plane zester.
Note 11 - Penne pasta: this is a tubular pasta that is somewhat short with ribs in the edges. It is a popular type of pasta and works well with this combination of ingredients.
Note 12- Reserved pasta water: you will find it easier to scoop out more than you need (1-2 cups) and then measure ½ cup from what you have scooped out as you won't be standing over the hot pan. You will need to use a heatproof jug for this step.
Note 13 - Parsley: we want to chop some fresh parsley and then toss this through the pasta when we are combining the pasta and sauce.
Note 14 - Black pepper: the black pepper on its own is used to garnish the finished dish for serving.

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