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Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Garlic Parmesan chicken pasta with a silky garlic Parmesan cream sauce and golden sliced chicken over spaghetti or fettuccine. Cook in one skillet, then toss pasta with enough reserved pasta water to coat every strand.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 920
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Pasta and sauce
  • 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine, cooked Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
  • 1 cup pasta water
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 Fresh basil and extra Parmesan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and rest the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until golden and cooked through to 165°F, 5–6 minutes per side.
  2. Remove the chicken to a plate, rest briefly, and slice thin so it stays juicy when serving.
Make the garlic Parmesan cream sauce
  1. In the same skillet, melt the butter and cook the minced garlic over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, then simmer over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
  3. Stir in the Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes until smooth, then loosen with pasta water as needed for consistency.
Toss and serve
  1. Toss the cooked spaghetti or fettuccine into the garlic Parmesan sauce until every strand looks coated and glossy.
  2. Divide the pasta among plates, then top with the sliced chicken.
  3. Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan so it cascades across the top and melts slightly from the hot pasta.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, add pasta water a splash at a time while stirring until it clings to the noodles. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of cream or broth to loosen. For a lighter option, swap half-and-half for heavy cream (the sauce will be slightly thinner but still creamy).