This simple Chicken Alfredo recipe calls for seasoned chicken breasts that are pan-fried until golden brown and covered in the creamiest sauce you’ve ever tasted. A showstopper meal and it’s all done in just over 30 minutes!.
Talk about comfort food! Mama Mia, you guys. We put our amazing homemade alfredo sauce to perfect use in this chicken alfredo recipe. You have 3 main components – wonderfully seasoned pan fried chicken with a crispy golden exterior, tender cooked pasta, and a velvety garlic and Parmesan cream sauce – all of which are delicious on their own and even more amazing once combined. Bonus, it looks and tastes like a gourmet meal, but it’s incredibly easy to make. Trust me, your entire family will love it!.
People all over the world love chicken alfredo, a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. Most people use fettuccine, but the sauce goes well with a lot of different kinds of noodles as well. When picking pasta for chicken alfredo, the shape, size, and texture of the noodles are the most important things to think about.
In this article, we’ll discuss the factors to keep in mind when selecting pasta for chicken alfredo and provide recommendations of the best pasta shapes and sizes to complement the rich velvety sauce.
Traditional Pairing: Fettuccine
Fettuccine is the classic pasta shape used in chicken alfredo. There are small ripples on the edges of this long, flat noodle that make it hold creamy sauces very well. Fettuccine’s wide shape also makes it a good choice for hearty chicken dishes, and the alfredo sauce gives it a rich texture.
The name fettuccine comes from the Italian word “fetta” meaning ribbon or band, Fettuccine originated in Rome in the 19th century and became forever linked to alfredo sauce when Roman restaurateur Alfredo Di Lelio named his signature butter and Parmesan sauce after himself in the early 1900s
For the richest, most authentic chicken alfredo experience, fettuccine remains the top choice. The flat noodles wrap around tender morsels of chicken and cling to each ounce of the velvety alfredo sauce.
Factors to Consider When Selecting Pasta
Even though fettuccine is the best, chicken alfredo sauce goes well with a lot of different kinds of pasta. Here are some things to think about when picking out the right shape and size of pasta for chicken alfredo:
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Sauce-holding ability – Alfredo is a dense, creamy sauce. Pasta shapes with ridges, ruffles, or hollows that can grab and hold sauce are ideal. Smooth, sleek pastas may lead to the sauce slipping off.
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Pairing with chicken – Chicken alfredo is hearty, so the pasta should have some substance as well. Thin, delicate pastas may get lost while extra wide noodles may overwhelm the chicken.
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Fork-twirling potential – Many diners like to twirl pasta noodles around their fork when eating. Long pastas with some width or heft make the best “twirlable” option.
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Texture – The luxuriously smooth sauce calls for a toothsome, indulgent noodle. Fragile or extra firm/brittle pastas are less fitting.
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Time to cook: The pasta and chicken breasts should both take about the same amount of time to cook.
Recommended Pasta Shapes for Chicken Alfredo
Based on the considerations above, here are some of the top pasta varieties to pair with chicken in an alfredo sauce:
Ribbons & Wide Strands
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Pappardelle – These fat, fluted ribbons are an exceptional match for alfredo. The wavy edges cling to sauce and the 2-inch width stands up well to chicken.
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Tagliatelle – Slightly narrower than pappardelle, these 1/2-inch-wide ribbons have ruffled edges for scooping up sauce. A great fettuccine alternative.
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Mafalda – Long, flat noodles with delicately ruffled edges. Their dainty width provides balance to the hearty chicken and sauce.
Short Pastas
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Garganelli – These penne-shaped tubes have defined ridges and shallow crevices perfect for catching creamy alfredo sauce.
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Mezze Rigatoni – Petite, ridged, tube-shaped pastas ideal for holding sauce. Their small size contrasts nicely with chicken.
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Conchiglie – These seashell-shaped pastas scoop up ample sauce. Medium shells provide ideal heft.
Fresh & Stuffed Pastas
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Agnolotti – Delicate filled pastas that meld beautifully with alfredo sauce. Opt for smaller shapes over ravioli.
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Tortellini – Tiny ring-shaped pastas enveloping cheese fillings. Their numerous folds and crevices grab sauce.
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Cappelletti – “Little hats” with wavy edges that retain sauce. Fillings like ricotta or prosciutto complement alfredo.
No matter what pasta you choose, be sure to cook it al dente so it has a nice firmness to stand up to the rich sauce and chicken. Pair your chicken alfredo pasta with a leafy green salad, garlic bread, and a glass of wine for a satisfying and savory dinner.
Buon appetito!
Tips and Possible Variations
- Avoid pre-shredded cheese. For best results, use real Parmigiano-Reggiano right off the block. Pre-grated cheeses don’t melt properly, making your sauce grainy. And they simply don’t taste nearly as good.
- Don’t over-cook the chicken. Using an instant-read thermometer will help you know for sure when the chicken is done cooking. At 165 degrees F, chicken is cooked through and safe to eat. Keep in mind that it will cook a little more as it rests. ).
- The pasta. Fettuccine is a great long, flat noodle for this because it gives the sauce more surface area to stick to. You could also use linguine or penne, which has ridges that can catch the sauce. Honestly though, any pasta works.
- Make sure you have everything you need before you start. There are a lot of ingredients, but it comes together quickly, like a stir fry. Before you start cooking, make sure everything is ready to go.
- Too thin of a sauce? We think the sauce is just right, but if you think it’s too thin, don’t worry about it. Allow it to cook for a few more minutes on low heat, or remove from heat and let it sit for one or two minutes before adding the pasta. It will thicken up. You can also add some of the pasta water you saved to loosen it up if you think it’s too thick.
- Want to make it healthier? Let’s not fool ourselves—this is a heavy, creamy, salty meal. But you can use whole milk or half-and-half instead of heavy whipping cream to cut back a bit. When making sauce, remember that less fat means thinner sauce.
- ▢ 16 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
- ▢ 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ▢ 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
- ▢ 1/2 cup butter, cut into big chunks or slices
- ▢ 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ▢ 1 clove garlic, , minced
- ▢ 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 3/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- ▢ 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- To make the noodles, melt the butter in a large pot and add salt. Add the fettuccine and cook for the amount of time listed on the package, usually 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain well. Set aside.
- To make the chicken, sprinkle salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on chicken breasts.
- Put the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Once it’s shimmering, swirl the pan to evenly distribute. Put in the chicken and don’t touch it for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Turn the pan over and add 1 tablespoon of butter between the two halves. Lightly swirl the pan to spread the butter around. Keep cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. ).
- Put the chicken on a cutting board and set it aside for three minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Tent with foil while you prepare the sauce.
- Put the cream and butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Whisk the mixture until the butter melts.
- Add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Whisk until everything is smooth and mixed together.
- Bring to a low boil, then cook, whisking all the time, for three to four minutes, until it starts to thicken.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and stir it in just until it melts and the sauce is smooth. (If the sauce gets too thick, add a few tablespoons at a time of the pasta cooking water that you saved. ).
- Put it together: Take the sauce off the heat and toss it right away with the cooked fettuccine noodles.
- A few chicken slices should be put on top of each bowl of pasta. Garnish with parsley, more Parmesan, and black pepper if desired.
It is possible for the nutritional information to be wrong depending on the ingredients you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
- Make Ahead. It’s best to make and serve chicken Alfredo right away, but the chicken can be cooked up to one day ahead of time. I don’t recommend making the sauce ahead of time.
- Leftovers. Any leftovers should be put in the fridge in a container that won’t let air in. It will keep up to 3 days.
- How to reheat Chicken Alfredo. Reheat on low heat on the stove until it’s all mixed together again, but keep in mind that the sauce will probably separate.
What Goes with Chicken Alfredo?
This is rich, creamy, and full of calories because it has chicken, pasta, and a cream sauce. But these are great Alfredo side dishes:
Creamy Chicken Alfredo
FAQ
What kind of pasta goes with Alfredo?
What pasta is best to use for Alfredo pasta? Any long pasta works well in Alfredo dishes; however, the wider the noodle, the better it holds the pasta. For this reason, fettuccine noodles are the most popular choice.
What kind of noodles should you use for chicken alfredo?
Ingredients8 ounces. dried fettuccine pasta. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)1 teaspoon. kosher salt, divided. 1/2 teaspoon. freshly ground black pepper, divided. 2 tablespoons. canola oil. 8 tablespoons. (1 stick) European-style unsalted butter, divided. 2 cloves. garlic, minced. 1 cup. heavy cream.