This creamy chicken pasta gets requested again and again at my house – and it’s all about the sauce. A velvety, homemade garlic Parmesan cream sauce coats every strand of linguine and every juicy bite of seared chicken, making this a meal the whole family will be scraping the pan for.
Best of all, the whole thing is on the table in just 35 minutes – completely homemade, no shortcuts, no compromises.
The secret to this creamy chicken pasta? My favorite, spot-on Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe, you can make right in your kitchen. Skip the reservation – this sauce is so rich, creamy, and indulgent that you’ll never need to leave your kitchen to get that restaurant-quality fix. Plus, you probably already have everything you need to make it.
I also use this sauce recipe to make my Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells, which are wildly popular around my house, and my Asiago Tortellini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken. It’s another winning dinner that never disappoints.
Creamy Chicken Pasta Ingredients
You’ll need:
For The Pasta and Chicken:
- 12-ounces (¾ pound) linguine noodles
- 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets, pounded to an even ½-inch thickness (approximately 1½ pounds)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus additional for pasta water)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (start with 2 tablespoons to fry the first side of the cutlets, if needed add the additional 1 tablespoon to fry the second side)
For The Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus additional for optional garnish – I prefer freshly grated parmesan for this recipe)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Substitutions And Additions
HEAVY CREAM: Combine milk and butter to make heavy cream at home. Use ¼ cup of melted butter with ¾ cup of milk to make 1 cup of heavy cream.
PENNE PASTA: Use fettuccini or spaghetti as a good substitute for linguine, but this sauce is versatile and will work with any pasta shape.
PARMESAN: I highly encourage you to use freshly-grated parmesan for this recipe. Pre-grated may not melt well, and your sauce can end up grainy.
BUTTER: You may need to add an additional ¼ tsp of salt if you’re using unsalted butter.
MOZZARELLA: You can top your pasta with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
How To Make This Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe
For The Pasta and Chicken
STEP ONE: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.
STEP TWO: In a large shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
STEP THREE: Lightly coat both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess back into the dish. Place the coated chicken onto a clean plate.
STEP FOUR: Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
STEP FIVE: Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips and set aside while preparing the sauce.
For The Sauce
STEP SIX: Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth with no dry flour remaining and cook for about 1 minute, just until lightly golden.
STEP SEVEN: Slowly whisk in the milk, followed by the heavy cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
STEP EIGHT: Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
STEP NINE: Remove from heat and whisk in the parmesan cheese until smooth.
STEP TEN: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated.
STEP ELEVEN: Add the sliced chicken to the skillet and gently fold to combine with the pasta and sauce.
STEP TWELVE: Garnish with additional grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
This creamy chicken pasta is best served immediately. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
How To Serve Creamy Chicken Pasta
This pasta is rich, so you want something on the side that cuts through it. A crisp Caesar salad does that perfectly. The acidity in the dressing balances out the rich Alfredo and gives your dinner a fresh bite.
For bread, garlic knots (I make mine from crescent rolls) or a crusty garlic bread are the move, not just for the flavor pairing, but because the sauce left in the pan is too good to waste. Trust me, you’ll want something to scoop it up with.
You can find more comforting pasta meals that are easy to pull together on my pasta and spaghetti recipes page.
Storing This Chicken & Pasta
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
REHEATING: Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat and add a splash of whole milk to bring the sauce back to life. Cream-based sauces thicken a lot in the fridge, so don’t skip this step.
Skip the microwave here. The high heat will break the sauce and leave you with a greasy, separated mess. Low and slow in a skillet is the only way to bring this back to its original creamy texture.
IN THE FREEZER: Let the pasta cool completely before portioning into freezer-safe containers or resealable bags, leaving a little room for expansion. It keeps well for up to 3 months.
This is the kind of pasta that earns a permanent spot in your dinner rotation – not because it’s fancy, but because it’s exactly what everyone actually wants to eat. The sauce alone is reason enough to make it, but paired with golden seared chicken and a pile of linguine, it’s the kind of dinner that makes everyone stop talking and start eating.
Find more 5-star dinners your family will ask for by name on my dinner recipes page.
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Pasta and Chicken
- 12 ounces linguine noodles (¾ pound)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets, pounded to an even ½-inch thickness (approximately 1½ pounds)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus additional for pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (start with 2 tablespoons to fry the first side of the cutlets, if needed add the additional 1 tablespoon to fry the second side)
Sauce
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for optional garnish
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
Pasta and Chicken
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.
- In a large shallow dish whisk together the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Lightly coat both sides of the chicken cutlets with the seasoned flour, being sure to shake off any excess back into the dish, and place onto a large clean plate.
- Add the olive oil to a large (12-inch) skillet preheated over medium-high heat. Place the coated chicken in a single layer and cook for 5-7 minutes per side or just until golden brown and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove the browned chicken from the skillet and place onto a clean plate. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thin strips. Set aside while making the sauce.
Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine until no dry flour remains. Cook for 1 minute or just until the flour is a pale golden color.
- Slowly add the whole milk while whisking constantly to ensure no lumps form. Whisk in the heavy cream and bring the sauce to a low boil.
- Once the sauce starts to bubble, cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the parmesan cheese until a smooth sauce is formed.
- Add the linguine noodles to the sauce, toss to coat the noodles with the sauce.
- Add the sliced chicken to the skillet and gently fold to incorporate it into the pasta and sauce.
- Garnish with a light sprinkle of additional grated parmesan cheese and finely chopped fresh parsley if desired before serving.
Notes
- If your boneless skinless chicken breasts are very large, you can slice two of them in half lengthwise to yield 4 thinner cutlets.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese will yield the best results for flavor and texture of the sauce.
- Fettuccine, spaghetti, or any long pasta can be substituted for the linguine noodles.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
A broken sauce almost always comes down to heat. It’s either too high, or too much heat too fast. Cream-based sauces need to be built slowly over medium to medium-low heat. If your sauce looks greasy or curdled, take it off the heat immediately and whisk in a small splash of cold milk or cream. Catching it early usually saves it.
Yes, and some people actually prefer them. Thighs have more fat, so they stay juicier and are more forgiving if you accidentally cook them a little longer. Just make sure you’re still pounding them to an even thickness so they cook evenly, and check that the internal temperature reaches 165°F before pulling them off the heat.
Add a splash of whole milk, a little at a time, and whisk it in over low heat until you reach the consistency you want. Don’t add too much at once. It’s easier to thin a sauce than to thicken it back up. This is also the move when reheating leftovers, since the sauce will tighten up significantly in the fridge.
You can, but cream-based sauces are always best fresh. If you make it ahead, store it separately from the pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat it low and slow on the stovetop with a splash of milk to bring it back together before tossing with the pasta.
Comments
Gloria says
So delicious!!!