Want a tasty Italian dinner but don’t have time to cook? I’ll show you how to make chicken alfredo with Ragu Classic Alfredo sauce that will impress your family without much work. This is one of my favorite recipes for dinner when I need something quick and tasty.
As a busy parent, I’ve come to appreciate shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor, and Ragu Classic Alfredo sauce is definitely one of those time-savers. Let’s dive into making this classic comfort food with minimal effort!
What You’ll Need
First, let’s gather our ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need to serve about 4-6 people:
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 jar (16 oz) Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce
- 12 oz pasta (fettuccine is traditional, but bow tie/farfalle works great too!)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning to taste
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese (I use a Parmesan/Mozzarella mixture)
Optional Add-ins:
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Steamed broccoli or other veggies
- Red pepper flakes for some heat
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Chicken
This is where the magic starts! Here’s what I do:
- Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board.
- Pound them thin with a meat mallet or heavy pan (this tenderizes the meat and helps it cook evenly).
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and dice into bite-sized pieces.
Hint: Don’t put too much in the pan. If you need to, cook the chicken in batches and add more butter as needed.
2. Cook the Pasta
While the chicken is cooking, get your pasta going:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 8-10 minutes).
- Drain pasta, but save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water! (This is a secret weapon for adjusting sauce consistency later).
3. Prepare the Sauce
Now it’s time to create that creamy, dreamy alfredo sauce:
- Return the diced chicken to the skillet.
- Pour in the entire jar of Ragu Classic Alfredo Sauce.
- Add 1 cup of shredded Italian cheese and stir well.
- Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
4. Combine and Serve
Let’s bring everything together:
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the chicken and alfredo sauce.
- Toss gently to coat all the pasta evenly with the sauce.
- Let it simmer together for another 5 minutes.
- Serve hot, topped with additional shredded cheese if desired.
It should take you 30 to 35 minutes to make the whole meal. Not bad for a restaurant-quality dinner at home!.
Variations to Try
One of the things I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. Here are some of my favorite ways to switch it up:
Different Pastas
While fettuccine is traditional, I often use:
- Farfalle (bow tie) – great for catching sauce in its folds
- Penne – sauce gets inside the tubes
- Linguine – slightly thinner than fettuccine
Protein Options
Not in the mood for chicken? Try:
- Shrimp (cook for just 2-3 minutes per side)
- Italian sausage (remove from casings and brown)
- Leftover rotisserie chicken (just warm through in the sauce)
Veggie Add-ins
Make it more nutritious by adding:
- Steamed broccoli florets
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Fresh spinach (just stir it in at the end)
- Garden peas
- Zucchini
- Sun-dried tomatoes
Tips for the Perfect Chicken Alfredo
After making this dish dozens of times, I’ve learned a few tricks:
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Don’t overcook the pasta – al dente pasta holds up better in the sauce and doesn’t get mushy.
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Save that pasta water – it’s starchy and helps the sauce cling to the pasta better than plain water would.
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Quality cheese matters – pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can make your sauce grainy. If possible, grate your own!
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Don’t boil the sauce – Alfredo sauce can separate if it gets too hot. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
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Season in layers – Season the chicken, season the pasta water, and taste the final dish to adjust seasonings.
Common Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Even though fresh chicken alfredo is best, you can prepare some of the parts ahead of time. Keep the pasta and cooked chicken and sauce separate until you’re ready to eat them. When reheating, add a splash of milk to bring the sauce back to life.
How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, heat up gently, adding a little water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.
Can I freeze chicken alfredo?
You can, but I don’t recommend it. The sauce can separate and the pasta texture changes. If you must freeze it, store it for up to 3 months and defrost thoroughly before gently reheating.
How can I make the sauce richer?
Add a splash of heavy cream or a tablespoon of cream cheese to the Ragu sauce for extra richness. You can also stir in extra Parmesan cheese.
My sauce is too thick/thin. What do I do?
- Too thick: Add some reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time
- Too thin: Simmer a bit longer to reduce, or add more cheese
Why This Recipe Works
There’s something magical about the combination of tender chicken, creamy sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta. Using Ragu Classic Alfredo sauce as a base gives you a consistent result every time, while still allowing for personalization.
I’ve made this recipe for my kids’ birthdays, for date nights with my husband, and for those busy weeknights when I want something better than takeout but don’t have the energy for an elaborate meal.
The Italian heritage of Alfredo sauce dates back decades, and while purists might insist on making the sauce from scratch, I’ve found that Ragu offers a delicious alternative that saves time without sacrificing flavor. After all, even Assunta Cantisano, the founder of Ragu Pasta Sauce, understood the importance of balancing quality with convenience!
Final Thoughts
Making chicken alfredo with Ragu Classic Alfredo sauce is one of those simple pleasures that makes home cooking so rewarding. It’s quick enough for weeknights yet impressive enough for guests. The balance of creamy sauce, tender chicken, and al dente pasta creates a comfort food experience that’s hard to beat.
Next time you’re standing in your kitchen wondering what to make for dinner, remember this recipe. It might just become your new family favorite, just like it has for mine!
What’s your favorite way to enjoy chicken alfredo? Do you have any secret ingredients you add to jarred alfredo sauce? Share your tips in the comments!
How To Make Chicken Alfredo
- Olive Oil: Use the extra-virgin olive oil that you like best, or look at our list of the best olive oil brands.
- Chicken Breasts: There should be no bones or skin on the chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can use chicken thighs instead if you’d like. This part of the cooking process takes a lot longer for thighs. They cook best after a quick trip to the oven. If you don’t want to use meat at all, try our recipe for shrimp fettuccine Alfredo.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth not only makes the sauce lighter, but it also cooks our noodles with milk. I know, I know, it’s surprising—but it works!.
- Whole milk is best for making this sauce as rich as possible.
- Garlic: Simply chopping garlic won’t work in this recipe. Grated or finely chopped garlic will add more garlicky flavor and mix better into the sauce without leaving behind little garlic bits.
- If you don’t like fettuccine, you can use another thin or medium-sized noodle. But fettuccine Alfredo just wouldn’t be the same without fettuccine.
- Parmesan: This simple recipe calls for a lot of parmesan, so make sure you get the good stuff and grate it yourself. On the rind of full wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano, if the block you have has one, look for little dots and a pattern that spells out the name.
- Heavy Cream: Some Alfredo recipes don’t call for heavy cream, but I think it’s worth it in this one because it works so well with the sauce and tastes great. You can use half-and-half instead if you really need to, but keep in mind that the sauce might need to cook a little longer to get it thick.
First, we’re going to cook our chicken breasts before preparing our pasta. Grab a large skillet, and heat oil over medium-high heat. Add your chicken breasts, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until they are golden-brown and cooked through. This should take around 10 minutes per side.
Once done, transfer to a cutting board, let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice and set aside.
Then add the broth, milk, and garlic to a pan, then season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer, then add the fettuccine. You’re going to cook your fettuccine in the liquid here instead of boiling it separately—it might seem crazy, but it will add more flavor to the noodles, and will save you from dirtying up another dish.
Cook until barely al dente, then stir in the Parmesan and cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is al dente.
Once done, remove from the heat and add the chicken.
Then, garnish with fresh parsley if you so desire.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
- Master your Alfredo sauce. To make the Alfredo sauce for this recipe, we first simmer milk, chicken broth, and garlic together. Then, we cook the noodles in the sauce. Heavy cream and Parmesan are added to the sauce after the noodles are cooked to make it creamy. We like to cook our noodles in this flavorful Alfredo sauce mixture, which is a little different from our basic Alfredo sauce recipe. If you’d rather keep things simple (or have some Alfredo left over!), feel free to use our basic recipe instead.
- Get experimental with the noodles. Fettuccine is a classic, but angel hair or spaghetti will also work. Just make sure that the pasta you choose can be fully submerged in the liquid you use to cook it.
- Add some veg. If you want to add some color, add a few big handfuls of spinach and half-cut grape tomatoes after the pasta is done.
- If you want some crunch, toast some panko bread crumbs in butter in a pan and add a handful on top. You can use this method with any kind of pasta. The extra texture makes it taste even better.
- Amp up the heat. Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning.
- Get rid of grainy sauce by grating the Parmesan cheese rather than shredding it. This will make your sauce smooth and delicious. Anticoagulants are often added to pre-shredded cheeses to keep the cheese from melting and becoming smooth.
As you may have noted by now, this dish is extremely versatile. Get creative with all of our top tips above, or check out some of our other Alfredo options. Swap out the sauce here for our cottage cheese Alfredo if youre looking to up the protein or our vegan Alfredo if you want to cut down on the diary, or check out our chicken tikka Alfredo if youre craving a dinner mash-up.
If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Advertisement – Continue Reading Below.
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 oz. fettuccine
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (about 2 oz.)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
- Step 1: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper. It will take about 8 minutes per side to cook until golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes, then slice. Step 2: Put the broth, milk, and garlic in the same skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Toss the fettuccine in the sauce every so often and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it’s just barely al dente. Step 3 Stir in Parmesan and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the pasta is done. Step 4 Remove from heat and stir in chicken. Top with parsley.
