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Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is an easy, one-pan dinner recipe featuring tender chicken and a creamy, flavorful sauce. Made with minimal ingredients and in under 30 minutes, this creamy parmesan garlic chicken pasta makes the perfect weeknight meal.
Pair this Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta with a Copycat Olive Garden Salad and Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks for the ultimate pasta dinner.
If you love the combination of garlic and parmesan, let me introduce you to a simple pasta dish you will find yourself making again and again.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta.
This recipe comes together in one pan using really simple ingredients. But the flavor is anything but simple. Made with creamy sauce that is infused with garlic and parmesan and perfectly cooked pasta, this pasta recipe is oh so flavorful. Add in some protein-rich chicken and you have a dinner that will leave you satisfied, yet took VERY little effort.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless thighs, or chicken tenders. Whatever you prefer or have on hand.
- Pasta: Select a shape of pasta that is curved or has ridges, so it will hold onto the creamy sauce. Corkscrew, Cavatappi, Trottle, or Penne pasta are all good options.
- Cream: I have made this pasta with heavy cream, half-and-half, and whole milk. While they all work, the heavy cream results in the most luxurious sauce.
- Stock/Broth: Store-bought or homemade chicken stock is the obvious choice here.
- Seasonings: While garlic and parmesan are the stars in this pasta recipe, adding Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper will round out the flavors.
- Garlic + Shallot: This recipe uses a lot of garlic. Hence the name Garlic Chicken Pasta. But instead of just using minced garlic, I also like to add a diced shallot, which lends subtle onion and garlic notes to the pasta, making the dish more nuanced.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use finely grated parmesan cheese from the refrigerated or deli section of your grocery store. I don't recommend using parmesan cheese from a green canister for best results.
- The Pan: Select a heavy-bottomed large sauté pan or large stock pan that can be fitted with a lid to cook the Garlic Parmesan chicken pasta.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sauté Chicken. To ensure the chicken cooks through and to add flavor and texture to the pasta, you want to sauté the chicken prior to simmering it with the pasta. Adding shallots and Italian seasoning the the chicken as it sautés, will further season the chicken, which in turn seasons the entire dish.
- Deglaze Pan. Add the broth the the pot, and scrape up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan--that is a lot of flavor right there. Season the broth with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes and let it come to a bubble.
- Simmer Pasta. Once the cooking liquid begins to bubble around the sides of the pan, stir the pasta into the liquid, pushing it down to fully submerge in the cooking liquid. Cover the pot and simmer until the pasta is al dente, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- Add Parmesan & Cream. Once the pasta is tender and the majority of the chicken stock has been absorbed, add in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted into the sauce. This will only take a minute or so.
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free: I have had success using Barilla gluten-free pasta to make this recipe. Many other brands give off too much starch and can make the dish gummy.
- Keep It Vegetarian: Simply omit the chicken and 2 teaspoons of the Italian seasoning used to season the chicken and replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth. Saute the shallot and garlic as directed and proceed with the recipe as written.
- Amp Up the Flavor: This Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta is already incredibly flavorful, yet also rather simple to appeal pickier palates. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves to the pasta while cooking and/or stir in the juice and zest of one lemon right before serving.
- Use Wine to Deglaze Pan: After sauteing the chicken, pour ¼ cup of dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, into the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Let that wine reduce in half and the proceed with the recipe. This adds a nice acidic touch to the pasta dish.
Storage/Reheating Instructions
- Store: If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool slightly and then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
- Reheat: To reheat the pasta, place one serving in a heat-safe dish and add in a splash of chicken stock. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
More Favorite Easy Pasta Recipes
- Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Mexican Spaghetti
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Pasta with Peas
- Pesto Pasta
- Easy White Bean Pasta
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Made with minimal ingredients and in under 30 minutes, this creamy parmesan garlic chicken pasta is an easy, one-pan dinner recipe featuring tender chicken, perfectly cooked pasta, and a creamy, flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, *used in 2 steps
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, *used in 2 steps
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 8 oz dry pasta, penne, corkscrew, or trottole, etc.
- ½ cup heavy cream
- parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Trim fat or grizzle off 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs and then dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of pepper over the chicken and toss to coat in seasonings.
- In a large, deep sauté pan that can be fitted with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil olive oil over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the chicken. Let the chicken cook for 2 minutes. Add in 1 large shallot (diced), and then continue to sauté, stirring often, until the shallots begin to soften and the chicken brown on all sides. ~2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 4-6 cloves garlic minced and sauté for 30-60 seconds, just to to toast.
- Pour in 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add ½-1 teaspoons kosher salt,2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Allow the broth to come to a light boil. Once the broth begins to bubble, add 8 oz dry pasta, and stir to make sure that the pasta is submerged in the broth and spices are well combined.
- Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10-13 minutes or until the pasta is almost al-dente, stirring every 2-3 minutes (remove the lid, quickly stir, and then place the lid back on the pan.
- Remove the lid, add ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese and ½ cup heavy cream and stir until the parmesan is melted and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with freshly minced parsley if desired.
Notes
Use the Right Pan: Select a heavy-bottomed large sauté pan or large stock pan that can be fitted with a lid to cook the Garlic Parmesan chicken pasta.
For the Pasta: Select a shape of pasta that is curved or has ridges, so it will hold onto the creamy sauce. Corkscrew, Cavatappi, Trottle, or Penne pasta are all good options. If you want to select gluten-free pasta, use Barilla.
Cream: Heavy cream, half-and-half, and whole milk all work, but the heavy cream results in the most luxurious sauce.
Storage: Allow pasta to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up 3 days. To reheat the pasta, place one serving in a heat-safe dish and add in a splash of chicken stock. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 561kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 39gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 405mgPotassium: 762mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 660IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Kristen, I had some trouble with this one. It ended up tasting fine, but was too thin.
The first problem was minor, but unexpected. There wasn't enough room to brown the whole pound-plus, but no problem - I did it in shifts. However, at neither shift at two minutes was the chicken even beginning to brown and didn't release from the bottom by itself. Okay, I thought, it'll cook anyway, so I continued.
The next problem was I couldn't get a pound (approximately, probably plus a few ounces) of chicken and a half pound of pasta to submerge under two cups of chicken broth. (The pan was okay - enameled cast iron 10-inches across the top and 4-1/2-inches deep, and has a lid.) In order to completely submerge the pasta I had to add another two cups of broth - total four cups - so I also doubled the Parmesan cheese from 1/2 cup to one cup. I left the heavy cream at 1/2 cup. I had to substitute half a yellow onion for shallot, but other than that I followed the recipe.
I left the dish on the stove a little longer with the lid off to get it to reduce, but finally had to turn the cooktop off to avoid overcooking the pasta. After a few minute of cooling the cooked Fusilli would hold a little bit of sauce, but I finally served it as "Chicken and Pasta Parmesan Soup" It tasted fine, but wasn't as attractive as my Instant Pot Alfredo effort earlier this week.
Can you tell where I went wrong?
Hi John! I am sorry this recipe didn't go as expected. First, it sound like you needed to heat the olive oil a bit more before adding the chicken. It will release once fully browned. As for the pasta to liquid ratio, is it possible you let the liquid reduce a bit before adding the pasta? It is okay if isn't completely submerged, but most of the noodle should be under the broth. In the future, try adding just a 1/2 cup more liquid at a time if needed.
Do you leave the chicken in the pan the whole time- even when cooking the pasta? Thanks!
Yes! The chicken will finish cooking through as the pasta cooks. I hope you enjoy!
I have made several of your recipes and have valued each one. This one was very good. I doubled the recipe and used checked stock. I added a couple of hard cheeses at the end to the cream. Plus rolled the chicken pieces in Italian seasoning before searing them. My husband said this is a keeper.
I love hearing you value my recipes, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing and thanks for taking the time to leave a review--it is appreciated!