Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta is a one-pot dish that can be made in 20 minutes. This is a creamy pasta dish with a tender chicken.

Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta is ideal for a whole family weeknight dinner and impressive for date nights, when it is served with white wine.

The dish is incredibly simple and tasty. Impressive, as if you were eating in the best restaurant. You absolutely have to try this perfect comfort food.

How to choose the best ingredients for Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a quick and easy option. You can also use leftover or rotisserie chicken, or swap in boneless chicken thighs for a juicier result.

Pasta: Choose your favorite pasta—spaghetti works great, but penne, farfalle, fusilli, or linguine are all good options.

Garlic powder: Perfect for seasoning the chicken—it enhances the garlic flavor and adds depth to the dish.

Parmesan cheese: Use good-quality parmesan like Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Its nutty, salty flavor pairs beautifully with garlic and chicken.

Sweet paprika : Adds a touch of color and a mild, slightly sweet flavor to the chicken.

Chicken stock/broth: Chicken stock gives the sauce a richer flavor, but vegetable stock works too. You can use homemade, store-bought, or even stock cubes if needed.

Heavy cream: Essential for creating a rich, creamy parmesan sauce that coats the pasta perfectly.

Italian seasoning: A blend of herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme adds a classic Italian flavor. You can use a ready mix or make your own.

Butter: Use unsalted butter for better control over seasoning. If needed, you can substitute with olive oil.

Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic is key in this recipe—when lightly cooked, it becomes aromatic and slightly sweet, blending beautifully into the sauce.

Parsley: Fresh chopped parsley adds color and freshness. Use it sparingly so it doesn’t overpower the dish. Frozen can work, but avoid dried parsley.

Olive oil: Use good-quality olive oil for cooking—it helps prevent burning and balances the richness of butter.

Salt and pepper: Season to taste. Freshly ground black pepper adds the best aroma, but white pepper can also be used.

Red pepper flakes/Chili flakes: Add a pinch for a gentle heat. You can adjust the amount or skip it entirely if you prefer a milder dish.

Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta Step-by-Step Guide

This Easy Chicken Pasta Recipe is a delicious dish that you can prepare in just 20 minutes. It's perfect for busy weeknights, which is practically for all of us.

Step 1: Prepare all the ingredients, slice the garlic, and finely chop the parsley

Cut the chicken breast lengthwise into three slices.

Step 2: Mix all the ingredients for the breading on a plate, i.e., flour, granulated garlic, parmesan, and paprika.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil well in a pan over medium-high heat. Coat the chicken pieces in the breading and fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan.

Step 3: In this step, we will make the tastiest part of this dish, in my opinion: caramelizing the garlic. Don't be scared by the amount of garlic; it won't give the dish too much of a spicy taste; it will only diversify it. In this version, even my children love garlic preppers like that. Add a tablespoon of butter to the olive oil heated in the pan, reduce to medium heat, melt the butter, and add the sliced garlic.

Step 4: Once the garlic is ready, the whole kitchen will smell a nice garlic flavor, and it will be soft but not brown in color. Add the chicken stock and put the pasta—in my case, spaghetti—cover the pan and wait about 10 minutes.  During this time, the pasta will cook until it is al dente.

Step 5: In the next step, mix spices such as Italian seasoning, chili flakes, and carmelized garlic. If the pasta has absorbed the chicken stock, you can add a little bit of water.

Step 6: Next, we will thicken the pasta sauce by adding heavy cream and parmesan, mixing thoroughly so that the parmesan dissolves and creates a thick, aromatic sauce.

Step 7: Sprinkle everything with parsley, mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 8: Cut the chicken breasts into strips and place them in the pan.

Mix everything, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and enjoy!

This dish is full-bodied and does not need any additional ingredients. 

Sides To Serve

Chicken Garlic Parmesan pasta is a dish; you can make it a one-pot dish or use leftover pasta or chicken from the previous day. You can enrich this incredibly simple and tasty dish with blanched broccoli, green asparagus, green beans, or fresh spinach. The best thing about this tasty recipe is that you can have everything from the previous day, and the dish will still taste like it was from the best restaurant. This is another recipe from the zero-waste idea series. Instead of adding vegetables to the dish, you can serve it with a side salad. I recommend my Salad with Roasted Seeds. 

How to store Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta

 This delicious dish can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This dish can't be frozen because it already contains pasta and chicken. While the chicken will retain its properties after defrosting, it won't have such a crispy coating. However, it will still be tasty, almost as if you made the dish with leftover chicken. The pasta, however, may completely lose its properties.

If you want my recipe, explore these delicious comfort food ideas!

Chicken Alfredo Linguine - Another suggestion for a creamy pasta sauce combining parmesan and garlic differently.

Chicken Fricassee is a classic chicken stew in which you swap a few ingredients further to enhance the flavor of this unusual and easy-to-make dish.

Chicken Ala King - This is another chicken stew that is easy, healthy, and incredibly tasty.

Old Delhi – Style Curry Chicken - This proposal may be a bit different from the classic, but it is definitely worth considering if you like warming dishes.