Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine tossed in a parmesan cream sauce made in the same skillet as the chicken, with a spoonful of chicken powder for savory depth and reserved pasta water to keep the sauce loose. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings: 5
Calories: 906kcal
Equipment
- 1 skillet cooking the chicken
- 1 large pot cooking pasta
- 1 medium sauce pan pasta sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil for cooking the chicken
- 1 chicken breast
- pinch salt and pepper
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- ¾ cups parmesan cheese I used pecorino romano for this recipe
- 1 teaspoon chicken powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup pasta water
- fresh herbs basil or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine one minute short of the package time. It finishes in the skillet. Before you drain it, scoop out half a cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Don't skip this. It's what you'll use to loosen the sauce later.8 ounces Fettuccine pasta
- Sear the chicken. Pound or slice the chicken breasts to an even thickness, then season with black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden and the thickest part reads 165°F. Move it to a cutting board and let it rest while you make the sauce. Slice against the grain.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 chicken breast, pinch salt and pepper
- Sauté the garlic. Lower the heat and add butter to the same skillet. Once it melts, add the minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds, just until it smells like garlic. It burns fast in a pan that's already hot, so pull the skillet off the burner if it starts to color.¼ cup butter, 3 cloves garlic
- Build the sauce. Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the chicken powder and pepper until it dissolves. Let it come to a bare simmer, not a boil.2 cups Heavy Cream, 1 teaspoon chicken powder, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Add the parmesan off the heat. Take the skillet off the burner and add the grated parmesan a handful at a time, stirring until each addition disappears before adding more. This is the step where alfredo goes grainy. Off the heat and slowly is the whole trick.¾ cups parmesan cheese
- Combine. Add the drained fettuccine and toss until every strand is coated. Splash in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce loosens to where you want it. Top with the sliced chicken.½ cup pasta water
- Serve. Garnish with parsley or basil and plenty of black pepper. Serve right away, while it's still loose.fresh herbs
Notes
Chicken. Pound or slice the breasts to an even thickness before searing. Cook to 165°F at the thickest part. Rest 5 minutes before slicing so the juices stay in the meat.
Parmesan. Grate it from a block. Bagged pre-shredded parmesan is coated in starch that doesn't melt, and it will make the sauce grainy no matter how carefully you stir.
Adding the cheese. Take the skillet off the heat first, then add the parmesan a handful at a time. This is the step where alfredo breaks.
Pasta water. Reserve ½ cup before draining. Add it a splash at a time at the end. Hold some back until the pasta is plated, since the sauce tightens as it cools.
Substitutions. Half-and-half works in place of heavy cream but needs a few extra minutes to reduce. Don't use skim milk, it will separate. Rotisserie or leftover chicken works: skip the searing and warm it through in the finished sauce.
Storage. Airtight in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat with a splash of milk. Don't freeze it, the sauce breaks on thaw.
Nutrition
Calories: 906kcal | Carbohydrates: 122.1g | Protein: 29.2g | Fat: 35.1g | Saturated Fat: 18.2g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 5.9g | Sugar: 3.5g | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 5mg
