Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Printable)

Juicy chicken and pasta coated in a velvety garlic Parmesan cream sauce — pure comfort on a plate.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz fettuccine or penne pasta

→ Dairy

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - ½ cup heavy cream
05 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - ⅓ cup whole milk

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 small onion, finely chopped

→ Pantry & Seasonings

09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, season the thinly sliced chicken breasts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 4–5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
03 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits from the chicken. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and whole milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer — do not boil. Gradually whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt smoothly before adding more. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with splashes of the reserved pasta water until it coats the back of a spoon. Sprinkle in the dried Italian herbs if using.
05 - Add the drained pasta and seared chicken to the skillet, tossing everything together so the sauce clings to every strand or piece. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Transfer to warm serving plates or a large platter. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and pass extra Parmesan at the table. Serve immediately while the sauce is still velvety and hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce clings to every single noodle like it was personally applied by hand, and nothing gets left behind on the plate.
  • It reheats beautifully the next day, making it the rare cream pasta that actually works for leftovers.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, take the pan off the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of pasta water to bring it back together.
  • Grating the Parmesan as finely as possible helps it melt seamlessly, so use the smallest holes on your grater.
03 -
  • Let the chicken rest for at least three minutes after searing so the juices redistribute instead of running out into your sauce.
  • Everything moves fast once you start the sauce, so have all your ingredients measured and ready before you turn on the burner.

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