Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Start by boiling a pot of water. Add a pinch of salt. Put the fettuccine pasta in the boiling water. Let it cook until it’s about 75% done. This usually takes about 7 to 8 minutes. Then, drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Cook Chicken: Next, take a pan and heat it. Add a little oil and place the chicken breast in the pan. Cook it on both sides until it’s golden and cooked through. This might take about 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Once done, take the chicken out of the pan and keep it aside.
- Make Alfredo Sauce: In the same pan, add some butter. Once the butter melts, add chopped garlic. Let it cook for about a minute until it’s fragrant. Then, pour in the heavy cream and add grated parmesan cheese. Stir everything well. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Combine: Cut the cooked chicken into slices or cubes. Add the chicken back to the pan with the sauce. Also, add the partially cooked pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin it out. Mix everything well. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce coats the pasta nicely.
- Season and Serve: Finally, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve your creamy chicken alfredo hot.
Protein Choice: Chicken Breast vs. Chicken Thighs
When choosing between chicken breast and chicken thighs to pair with pasta, it’s essential to consider the type of sauce being used in the dish. For a lighter sauce like tomato sauce, chicken thighs, which are a fattier cut, can complement the flavours well. On the other hand, for a heavier and creamier sauce such as alfredo, opting for leaner chicken breast is recommended to balance the dish’s richness. Both chicken breast and thighs are versatile options that can be successfully incorporated into this recipe, depending on the desired flavour profile.
Best Pasta for Creamy Chicken Alfredo
The best pasta to use for creamy Chicken Alfredo is fettuccine. Fettuccine is a thick, flat noodle that works perfectly with the creamy sauce. To cook the fettuccine just right, boil it in salted water for about 6-7 minutes until it’s around 75% cooked. After that, add the partially cooked fettuccine to the alfredo sauce, along with some pasta water. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens and the pasta finishes cooking. Enjoy your delicious Chicken Alfredo with this perfect pasta choice.
Fresh Grated Parmesan vs. Bottled Parmesan
When choosing parmesan cheese for your Alfredo sauce, opt for fresh-grated parmesan over bottled parmesan. Freshly grated parmesan is lighter, melts smoothly into the sauce, and offers a richer flavour compared to the saltier and denser bottled parmesan. It enhances the taste of your alfredo sauce and provides a more authentic Italian experience due to its superior quality and texture.
