Chicken Alfredo is a dream-team combination of juicy, golden-brown slices of chicken breast and long, slurp-able strands of thick fettuccine pasta in my super-luxe Alfredo pasta sauce. Find out how to make this Italian restaurant-style dish at home. It only takes 25 minutes and is a lot simpler than you might think!
It’s hard to think of anything better than thick strands of pasta covered in a rich, creamy sauce with juicy chicken slices. Plus, it’s so easy to make at home.
“I made your Chicken Alfredo with pasta today for lunch. It is the best I ever made. My husband loved it too. I served it with pan fried asparagus. Wow. “.
I worked in homestyle Italian restaurants when I was learning to cook. Any kind of creamy pasta with Alfredo sauce with chicken, shrimp or salmon added to them were always a hit with customers. And along the way, I learned there’s really nothing complicated involved to make it.
To make the chicken taste great before cooking it and adding it to the Alfredo sauce, start by making a simple seasoning rub:
Cook the seasoned chicken breasts until golden brown and tender, then make the sauce in the same pan:
While the chicken and sauce are cooking, cook fettuccine (or your pasta of choice) in a large pot of boiling, salted water.
Italian-American food lovers love chicken alfredo, a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. It usually has chicken, fettuccine noodles, butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese in it. There are different kinds of noodles that can be used to make chicken alfredo. Fettuccine is the most common type.
When choosing noodles for chicken alfredo, there are a few factors to consider:
Noodle Shape
Pasta with long, flat noodles like fettuccine or linguine is a classic choice because it holds the creamy sauce well. However, many other noodle shapes will also work well, including:
- Spaghetti
- Angel hair
- Penne
- Rotini
- Farfalle (bowtie)
- Rigatoni
- Ziti
- Campanelle
Shorter pasta shapes like penne or rotini can be great options if you want your alfredo to be a bit heartier or stick to the noodles better. Ribbon-style pastas like fettuccine allow the silky sauce to coat each strand.
Noodle Texture
The texture of the noodle can impact how well the sauce clings to it. Noodles with rougher, more porous surfaces tend to hold sauce better Some good options include
- Whole wheat noodles
- Multigrain noodles
- Fresh pasta
- Handmade pasta
Most fresh pasta and hand-made noodles have a lovely rough texture that goes well with creamy sauces.
Smooth, delicate noodles like angel hair may not grip the sauce as well. However, they can still taste wonderful in chicken alfredo if prepared properly.
Gluten-Free Noodles
Many gluten-free noodles can also work well in chicken alfredo recipes. Some popular options are
- Rice noodles
- Quinoa noodles
- Chickpea noodles
- Zucchini noodles
- Spaghetti squash
When using gluten-free noodles, keep in mind that they often cook faster than traditional wheat pasta. Be careful not to overcook them or they can become mushy.
If you want to eat less carbs, spiralized vegetables like zucchini or spaghetti squash strands are a great alternative to regular noodles.
Cooking the Noodles
No matter what noodle you choose, make sure to salt the cooking water generously and cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain the noodles well, reserving about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water to use in the sauce if needed.
Slightly undercooking the noodles is preferable, as they will continue to cook a bit more when mixed into the hot alfredo sauce. Overcooked, mushy noodles won’t hold the sauce well at all.
Matching Noodle Shapes and Sauces
In general, smooth, thin sauces complement long strands or ribbons, while thick, chunkier sauces pair better with shorter cuts and tube/curlicue shapes. The creamy alfredo sauce is smooth and luxurious, so longer flat noodles are recommended.
However, the beauty of chicken alfredo is that it can be adaptable to use up whatever noodles you have on hand. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types – just keep the noodle cooking techniques in mind. With the right preparation, you can make restaurant-quality chicken alfredo with a wide variety of noodles.
Sample Noodle Pairings for Chicken Alfredo
Here are some of the most recommended noodle varieties to use in chicken alfredo recipes:
- Fettuccine – classic choice, long flat strands, delicate texture
- Linguine – similar to fettuccine, slightly thinner and more delicate
- Pappardelle – wide, flat egg noodles, hold sauce nicely
- Tagliatelle – long, flat egg noodle ribbons, good sauce catcher
- Spaghetti – versatile staple noodle, works well but strands can be messy to eat
- Penne – sturdy texture, ridges catch sauce nicely
- Rotini – short twist shape, great for kids
- Campanelle – cone-shaped, scoops up sauce in ruffles
- Farfalle – adorable bowtie shape, fun presentation
- Rigatoni – short tubes are easy to eat and sauce delivery
- Cellentani – elegant swirl shape, showy presentation
- Angel hair – very delicate thin strands, can overcook easily
So don’t feel restricted to just fettuccine when making chicken alfredo. Experiment with the many noodle varieties available to find new flavor and texture combinations your family will love. Just keep noodle shapes and preparation in mind, and you can create a heavenly alfredo dish with the pastas you have on hand.
Homemade Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- ▢ ½ teaspon garlic powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ 1 pound (450 g) chicken breasts that are skinless and have no bones
- ▢ Extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, cut into cubes
- ▢ 2 cups (475 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ▢ 1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
- ▢ ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces (225 g) fettuccine pasta or another long type of pasta like linguine, pappardelle, or tagliatelle
- ▢ ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add a lot of salt (1 tablespoon of salt for every quart of water).
- In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and about ¼ teaspoon of fresh black pepper. Cover both sides of the chicken breasts with the mixture. (The chicken can be seasoned ahead of time and put in the fridge for up to eight hours)
- Set a big skillet (10–12 inches) over medium-high heat until a drop of water pops when it touches it. Pour about a tablespoon of oil into the pan and swirl it around to cover the bottom. Put in the chicken breasts and cook for two to three minutes, until the first side is golden brown. Turn the chicken over and cook for two more minutes on the other side.
- Turn the heat down to medium and cover the pan. The chicken is done when it feels firm when you touch it and is cooked all the way through. Put the chicken on a cutting board to rest while the sauce is being made. If there are any burned or dark spots in the pan, wipe them off.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring the pasta to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until it is al dente. Pour into a colander and shake to drain excess water.
- Wipe out any browned bits from the skillet, if needed. Turn the heat up back up to medium-high. Add the butter pieces to the skillet. While the butter is still melting, add the cream, garlic, and salt. It should take about 5 minutes of cooking, stirring every now and then, for the cream to start to reduce and thicken. Take the pan off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Mix it in until the sauce looks smooth.
- Using tongs, toss the cooked, drained pasta around in the sauce after adding it to the pan. You can move it to a bowl to serve or leave it in the skillet to serve.
- Cut the chicken into ½-inch pieces and place them on top of the pasta. Add any juices that the chicken may have given off while it was resting. Sprinkle the Parmesan and parsley over and serve right away.
Creamy Chicken Alfredo
FAQ
What noodles are best with Alfredo?
Fettuccine: The perfect pasta for Alfredo sauce, its wide, flat shape holds the creamy sauce beautifully. You can use homemade or dried pasta, or you can get fresh noodles from the fridge section of the grocery store for a more tender texture.
What type of pasta should I use for chicken alfredo?
Fettuccine is the most classic, but you can use whichever pasta shape you prefer. Heavy cream: Though some recipes exclude heavy cream, we think it makes for the most reliable and dreamy Alfredo sauce.