This creamy chicken alfredo recipe is another super simple meal you can make in just 20 minutes. This might not be the most authentic version of an alfredo but it sure is tasty. The protein I used is chicken but this works really well with shrimp or anything else you like.
Chicken breast vs chicken thighs
When pairing protein with pasta, I always take into consideration what type of sauce we are making when deciding what cut of meat. If the sauce is lighter like a tomato base then I will choose a fattier cut of meat. On the other hand, if the sauce is fatty, then I will use a leaner cut of meat. Since this sauce base is extremely heavy in cream and cheese, I decided to use a leaner cut which is chicken breast. However, chicken thighs will work just as well.
Best pasta for creamy chicken alfredo
In my opinion, the best pasta for an alfredo sauce is fettucine which is a thick flat pasta shape perfect to hold a creamy sauce. To cook the pasta perfectly, you want to start by boiling it in salted water first for about 6-7 minutes. You want them about 75% cooked. Once the alfredo sauce is ready, add the partially cooked fettucine into the pan along with 1/2 cup of pasta water. Continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce thickens and what this does is finish cooking the fettucine as well.
Difference between fresh grated parmesan and bottle parmesan
It is important to differentiate between the two most common types of parmesan. The first one and the one I recommend is fresh grated parmesan. This comes in a block and you will need to grate it yourself. The result is a soft and fluffy consistency that looks snow-like.
The second type of parmesan is the one that comes in a shake bottle and is slightly grainy. This is more dense, and looks more like clumpy sand compared to snow.
The reason I will recommend fresh grated parmesan is because the weights will vary. 1 cup of grated parmesan is much lighter than 1 cup of the shake bottle parmesan. The ones in a shake bottle are also more salty and don’t melt as well into the alfredo sauce.
Creamy Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Pasta
- 180 g fettucine pasta
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic (diced)
- ½ yellow onion (diced)
- 1½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup pasta water
- parlsey
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water up to a boil, season generously with salt.
- While water is warming up, split your chicken breast in half, rub with oil, and season with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.1 large chicken breast, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder
- Warm up a hot pan over med-high heat and cook chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. They won't take long since they are really thin.
- Set chicken aside for later.
- Put fettucine noodles into the hot water and let it cook about 6-7 minutes or about 75%.180 g fettucine pasta
- Onto the same pan that we cooked the chicken in, add butter, onions, and garlic to deglaze the pan. Stir 1 minute.2 tbsp unsalted butter, 5 cloves garlic, ½ yellow onion
- Add heavy cream, and grated parmesan. Stir 1 minute over med heat.1½ cup heavy cream, 1 cup grated parmesan
- Once fettucine is 75% cooked, add them into the pan along with pasta water.½ cup pasta water
- Continue stirring over med heat until thickens. About 2 minutes.
- Serve alfredo with chicken breast, more parmesan, and chopped parsley.parlsey
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