Juicy pan-fried chicken served in a creamy, garlic and parmesan sauce with linguine. This garlic parmesan chicken pasta is comforting and oh-so-tasty and it’s ready in about 25 minutes!
We use a perfect ratio of cream, stock and lemon juice to ensure a sauce that’s rich-but-not-heavy, perfectly balanced taste and packed with flavour.
I’ll show you a few little tricks to make this pasta rich and delicious without feeling too heavy. It’s simple enough for a quick weeknight dinner, but impressive enough to serve up for date night.
📋 Ingredients
This garlic parmesan recipe is so simple we’re using mainly store cupboard ingredients. We’ve got:
- Chicken
- Pasta
- Onion
- Double Cream (heavy cream in the USA)
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh garlic
- Chicken stock (Chicken broth)
- Cornflour (cornstarch in the USA)
- Seasonings
Pasta
I use linguine as I love the way the creamy garlic parmesan sauce clings to the pasta but you could substitute it for any other pasta you have in.
Chicken
I use boneless skinless chicken breast that have been chopped into bite-sized chunks. If you prefer, you can swap this out for chicken thighs. Use trimmed skinless chicken thigh fillets chopped into bite-sized chunks. You will need to cook for a couple of minutes longer than if you were using chicken breast.
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- Put your pasta on to cook in a pan of boiling salted water.
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, season and fry the chicken, then remove from the pan.
- Fry onion and garlic, then deglaze the pan with stock, before adding cream and lemon juice to balance the flavours.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with plenty of parmesan and toss it all together before serving up with parsley, a good grind of black pepper and more parmesan.
🧑🍳 Pro Tip
A few splashes of the pasta water are key to making the sauce go a bit further but also feel light-yet-decadent. It helps loosen the sauce. plus, the starchy water helps the delicious creamy sauce cling onto the pasta elevating every bite you take.
The beauty of this dish is that it all of the sauce comes together while the pasta is cooking – making it a delicious creamy dinner that can be ready super quickly!
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
This creamy garlic parmesan chicken is so quick to make and delicious served on its own. If you’re a topping and sides person (like me!), I like to sprinkle on a little fresh parsley and a little extra parmesan and serve with some store-bought or homemade garlic bread. If you wanted you could also serve it up alongside a simple green salad.
The creaminess of the garlic-parmesan sauce and how it clings to the pasta and tender chicken, trust me you’re going to want to make this one again and again!
Other Ingredient swaps
Replace the cream with creme fraiche for a slightly lighter version. If you’re using a lower fat version, just heat it through gently, as low fat dairy can split at high temperatures (full-fat creme fraiche can be boiled and simmered though).
Try adding crispy bacon or chorizo for a meaty addition.
Add peas (just add frozen peas right to the pan) or chopped asparagus or mushrooms when adding the onion, or stir in baby spinach at the end if you like.
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Cook the pasta as per the pack instructions, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
300 g (10.5 oz) linguine
Whilst the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle over the cornflour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss together to coat.
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in US), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 3 chicken breasts chopped into bitesize pieces
Add the oil to a large frying pan and heat over a medium heat.
3 tbsp oil
When the oil is hot, add the chicken and fry for 6-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is golden and cooked throughout.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a warm bowl.
There should still be a little oil in the pan, if not, add a little splash more along with the chopped onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are just starting to soften.
1 small onion
Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
3 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Stir in the stock and cream and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
180 ml (3/4 cup) strong chicken stock, 180 ml (¾ cup) double (heavy) cream, 1 tbsp lemon juice
Stir in the lemon juice.
By now your pasta should be ready. Add the pasta to the pan, then sprinkle over the parmesan.
50 g (1/2 cup) finely grated parmesan cheese
Use a set of tongs to lift and drop the pasta in the sauce, until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce.
If you would like to loosen up the sauce a little, add in splashes of the reserved pasta water, until the sauce consistency is to your liking.
Add the cookied chicken back to the pan and stir through. Heat for a further minute to ensure the chicken is hot, then turn off the heat.
Divide between bowls and top with chopped parsley and an extra sprinkling of black pepper and grated parmesan.
small bunch fresh parsley, black pepper, grated parmesan
Can I make it ahead?
Pasta dishes like these are usually best served straight away. However, if you have leftovers, you can cool, cover and refrigerate right away. It should keep well in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times whilst reheating.You may want to add a splash of water, stock and/or cream to loosen up the pasta, as the pasta will absorb more sauce during storage and reheating.
Can I freeze it?
No, I don’t recommend freezing this chicken pasta dish.Ingredient swaps
- Try adding crispy bacon or chorizo for a meaty addition.
- Add peas (just add frozen peas right to the pan) or chopped asparagus or mushrooms when adding the onion, or stir in baby spinach at the end if you like.
- Replace the cream with creme fraiche for a slightly lighter version. If you’re using a lower fat version, just heat it through gently, as low fat dairy can split at high temperatures (full-fat creme fraiche can be boiled and simmered though).
This doesn’t include extra parmesan to sprinkle on top at the end (I don’t know how much you’re going to sprinkle on 😁).
Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1305mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1027IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
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