This Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta has tender chicken breast in a rich garlic cream sauce and perfectly al dente pasta for a delicious dish! Ready in 40 minutes.
Want more 30-minute meals? Check out this Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet, One Pot BBQ Chicken Chili Mac, and Cheeseburger Pasta recipe!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this easy chicken pasta recipe:
- Garlic Chicken Pasta ingredients:
- How to make creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta:
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to store this Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe:
- Can I freeze this dish?
- Make-ahead option:
- Serving suggestions:
- More quick dinner recipes you’ll love:
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is a delicious weeknight dinner perfect for whenever you’re craving rich comfort food!
It’s made with simple ingredients like juicy chicken, heavy cream, and pasta — it’s totally decadent and loaded with flavor! (The first time I put this one on the table, there were “oohs” and “ahhs” all around).
Pair it with a side salad, roasted veggies, or garlic bread for the perfect balanced meal!
Why you’ll love this easy chicken pasta recipe:
- Make-ahead friendly: You can prep the pasta or sauce ahead of time, making this dish even quicker!
- Rich and creamy: The parmesan garlic sauce is perfectly creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor.
- Quick: This dish is ready in about 40 minutes, so it’s perfect for weeknights or when you need something fuss-free!
Garlic Chicken Pasta ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: I like to keep things lean with chicken breasts, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Spices: I season the chicken with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for a robust flavor profile, but feel free to use any other blend of seasoning you prefer! An all-purpose or pre-made seasoning mix would work great in this recipe.
- Roux: I make a roux using butter and flour to thicken the cream sauce.
- Oil: use any kind of neutral oil to sear the chicken.
- Garlic: because we put it in everything. Fresh garlic is best, but pre-minced garlic or even garlic powder will work in a pinch!
- Heavy cream and low-sodium chicken broth: these create a rich, creamy consistency for the sauce. I highly recommend using heavy cream as it holds up better when heated up than lower-fat dairy, which can curdle at high temperatures!
- Parmesan cheese: adds a tangy, nutty flavor to the dish and helps to thicken the cream sauce! You could also use pecorino Romano or asiago cheese for a slightly different flavor.
- Pasta (any type): any short or long pasta will work for this recipe! If you want to keep things low-carb, you can leave it out, substitute spaghetti squash, or load up on veggies.
How to make creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta:
This recipe comes together in 30 minutes! For the full list of recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Flatten the chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Sear the seasoned chicken in a skillet with oil until golden brown.
- Melt butter, sauté garlic, then stir in flour.
- Whisk in cream and chicken broth until smooth.
- Boil pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain.
- Add the pasta to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce.
- Return chicken to the pan, cover slightly, and simmer until cooked through.
- Slice chicken, and serve with pasta and the creamy sauce.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap out the meat: If chicken isn’t your thing, you can substitute cooked Italian sausage or bacon for a bolder flavor.
- Need a pop of color? Add some fresh spinach to the creamy sauce right before serving.
- Want a kick of heat? Add some red pepper flakes to the sauce, or use cajun seasoning to season the chicken.
- Make it gluten-free: Omit the flour and mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the heavy cream before adding it to the pan! You can also use gluten-free pasta.
How to store this Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe:
Store this dish in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, pop it in the microwave for a minute or two until warm!
Can I freeze this dish?
Yes! However, I recommend freezing the chicken and cream sauce separately from the pasta, as pasta tends to lose its texture over time.
Place the leftover chicken and cream sauce in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm.
Make-ahead option:
Here are a few easy ways to prep this dish ahead of time:
- Cook the pasta: You can boil the pasta and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Make the cream sauce: Make the cream sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a small saucepan on the stovetop before serving with the cooked chicken!
Serving suggestions:
Since this is a heavier dish, I love serving it with something light like Roasted Green Beans or Roasted Vegetables! I also love a thick slice of garlic bread to soak up that velvety cream sauce.
More quick dinner recipes you’ll love:
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe — also perfect over pasta!
- Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet — a one pan meal
- Ravioli Lasagna — quick to prep!
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon oil
Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Pasta
- ¾ lb pasta (any kind, uncooked) about 340 grams
- fresh chopped parsley and cracked black pepper for garnish
Instructions
Chicken
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and use a heavy rolling pan or small pan to flatten slightly.
- Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and sprinkle over chicken.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.
Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Add the butter, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the flour until no white remains.
- Whisk in cream and broth until smooth, then add the chicken back in to the pan. Cover but leave a small gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly and chicken is cooked through to at least 165 degrees F.
- When chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and slice. Stir the Parmesan into the sauce, then serve with pasta and chicken.
Pasta
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and serve with the chicken and sauce.
Notes
- chicken breasts: boneless, skinless chicken thighs also work well in this recipe, as well as cooked Italian sausage or bacon.
- seasoning: feel free to mix up the seasonings to your tastes, or choose an all-purpose seasoning blend to cut down on dirty measuring spoons. Cajun seasoning works great if you like a kick!
- flour: you can make this recipe without the flour by mixing in 1 tablespoon of corn starch with the cream before adding it to the pan.
- cream: I only recommend heavy cream for cooking recipes because it can withstand high temperatures and longer cook times without curdling. This can be made with lighter cream, but you may need to add more flour to thicken.
Nutrition Information
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Karen Mena says
My family loved this!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Jerry Nicks says
Perfect because my wife loved this, but I did too! We served with asparagus in the air fryer with olive oil and paprika with salt & pepper.
Of course had to have whole wheat French bread from Kroger, really good, but what bread doesn’t taste better with butter and garlic toast!
Jerry Nicks
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jerry!