Description
This Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta is a comforting and delicious dish featuring tender chicken cubes cooked in a rich garlic butter sauce, combined with perfectly al dente pasta. Infused with Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and optional red pepper flakes, this easy recipe comes together quickly for a satisfying dinner that serves six.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Pasta and Sauce
- 1 pound pasta (penne, rotini, or your favorite shape)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 10 cloves garlic, minced (or more, to taste!)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Generously season the chicken cubes with salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance flavor before cooking.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are browned on all sides and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Melt Butter: Reduce the heat to medium, add the unsalted butter to the same skillet, and melt it completely.
- Sauté Garlic: Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook while stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic to maintain a smooth flavor.
- Deglaze with Wine: If using, pour in the dry white wine and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until it reduces slightly, which adds depth to the sauce.
- Add Cream: Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Finish Sauce: Reduce the heat to low, then stir in grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, and red pepper flakes if desired. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Combine Chicken with Sauce: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the garlic butter sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- Toss Pasta in Sauce: Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss everything together to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time to loosen it to your desired consistency.
- Serve: Serve the pasta immediately, and optionally garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for extra color and flavor.
Notes
- For extra heat, increase the amount of red pepper flakes according to your taste preference.
- Use fresh garlic for best flavor; adjust quantity if you prefer a milder garlic taste.
- If skipping the white wine, increase the chicken broth slightly to maintain sauce liquid.
- Reserving pasta water is key to adjusting sauce consistency without diluting flavor.
- This recipe works well with various pasta shapes like penne, rotini, or fusilli that hold sauce nicely.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a cream alternative but expect a thinner sauce.
