One Pot Chicken Alfredo
Tender chicken and pasta simmer together in a creamy parmesan sauce, all in one pan. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so there's nothing to drain and only one pot to wash.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Large deep skillet, sauté pan, or small Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth vegetable broth may be substituted
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ pound uncooked pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or rotini
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh minced parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the pan, and cook a few minutes, turning to brown on most sides. The chicken doesn't need to be cooked through.
- Add the garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add everything else: Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, pasta, cream cheese, butter, and Italian seasoning. Break long noodles in half so they sit under the liquid.
- Simmer uncovered: Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce coats a spoon.
- Stir in the parmesan: Remove from heat. Add the parmesan a small handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding more.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan, minced parsley, and fresh cracked black pepper if desired.
Notes
- Keep the heat low: A gentle simmer is the single most important part of this recipe. A hard boil separates the butter and cream and leaves the sauce greasy.
- If it looks greasy: Pull the pan off the heat, let it cool a minute, then stir in a splash of cold cream to bring the sauce back together.
- Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded parmesan is coated to prevent clumping, and it won't melt smoothly into the sauce.
- Scaling up: Use about 2 cups of liquid per half pound of dry pasta so the noodles stay covered while they cook.
- Shortcut: Skip the browning step and stir in 2 to 3 cups of chopped rotisserie or leftover chicken with the parmesan at the end.
- Add vegetables: Stir small broccoli florets, peas, or mushrooms in during the last 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach at the very end.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat over medium-low heat with a splash of cream or milk, stirring often.
Nutrition
Calories: 654kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 711mg | Potassium: 472mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1465IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 268mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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