Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Pasta: The creamy garlic sauce is perfect with a long noodle like spaghetti or linguine. It also works with a chunky shape like rigatoni, penne, or cavatappi.
Chicken: The recipe suggests chicken breasts, but you can substitute chicken thighs. To keep the chicken super juicy, the breasts are flattened, pan-fried, and left to rest. They then get sliced and added to the sauce at the end.
Garlic: Feel free to add more garlic to the sauce; like I always say, we measure garlic with your heart!
White wine: Use any dry white wine; if you don't consume alcohol, you can substitute it with additional broth.
Cream: Opt for heavy cream, thickened cream, or double cream for the sauce. If you pick a thinner alternative like half and half or single cream, the sauce won't thicken.
Broth/Stock: I recommend chicken broth for the sauce, but vegetable is a great alternative. I love Better than Bouillon for a quick broth/stock.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan melts far better than the store-bought pre-grated kind. So it is best to buy a block of parmesan and grate it yourself to get a luscious smooth sauce.

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• Don't overcook the chicken; the flattened chicken needs around 2 minutes on each side.
• Turn the heat to low before adding the garlic to the butter. You want it to mellow and perfume the butter without burning or going crispy. I like to have the wine measured and ready to add to the pan. If the pan gets too hot, I can cool it with the wine.
• Remember to salt the water generously before adding your pasta; the recipe suggests 1 tablespoon of salt.
• To help get a perfect sauce consistency and allow it to coat the pasta, reserve 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water. Around ½ cup of pasta cooking water is added to the sauce, but it is a good idea to reserve extra in case the sauce thickens too much.

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

• This dish is delicious with sliced pork loin chops.
• You can use leftover chicken. Just add it to the sauce as you add the pasta so that it can heat through.
• Add some baby spinach at the end of cooking or steamed asparagus spears for extra veg. 
• Fry some mushrooms in butter and add them to the creamy sauce when adding the pasta.
• Add crumbled, cooked bacon to the top of the pasta for a crispy, salty, smoky hit.
• Add a crunchy topping. Pangrattato is an Italian crunchy, crispy topping that can be added to creamy dishes. It is essentially toasted breadcrumbs with some seasoning. See pangrattato post.

Sides: Serve this Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta with a simple side salad and some bread to mop up the creamy sauce. Alternatively, I love it with a side of steamed asparagus or some roasted broccoli. 

Wine Pairing: For white wine drinkers, pair this creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta with a lightly oaked buttery chardonnay, oaked Chenin Blanc, or Viognier. They will all complement the velvety-rich sauce. If you're a fan of red wine, try a Pinot Noir, a Chianti, or, if you can find it, an Italian Teroldego. They can balance the parmesan and garlic without overpowering the chicken.