Italian pasta makers add chicken to only 3% of traditional recipes—this breaks 800 years of culinary rules.
Chicken Pasta
Dive into a dreamy bowl of creamy chicken pasta that's both a breeze to whip up and utterly scrumptious! Featuring tender chicken, al dente pasta, and a rich garlic-infused sauce, this dish is perfect for a cozy dinner or impressing guests. Get ready to savor the comfort of this irresistible meal!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 400 g chicken breast (0.88 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 400 ml cooking cream (13.5 fl oz)
- 60 g Parmesan cheese (2.12 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 300 g macaroni (10.6 oz)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (45 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- ½ tsp black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp ground paprika (5 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, season the chicken with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, ground paprika, and black pepper. Mix well.
- 2
Cook in a preheated pan (add a little oil if needed) until golden and fully cooked on both sides. Once done, remove the chicken from the pan.
- 3
Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the cooking cream and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- 4
Then add the cooked macaroni, Parmesan cheese, the chicken, and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix everything well until fully combined and creamy.
- 5
Serve warm. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pound chicken to uniform 3/4-inch thickness before seasoning because uneven pieces cook at different rates, leading to overcooked edges and undercooked centers.technique3/4-inch thickness
- ✓Heat your pan to 375-400°F before adding chicken to achieve proper Maillard browning - oil should shimmer but not smoke when ready.technique375-400°F
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining because the starch content (6-8%) acts as a natural emulsifier to bind cream sauce to pasta.timing6-8% starch content
- ✓Add pasta to cream sauce while both are hot (above 140°F) so the residual heat helps Parmesan melt smoothly without clumping or breaking.timingAbove 140°F
- ✓Use heavy cream with 35-40% fat content rather than light cream because higher fat prevents curdling when simmering and creates better sauce cohesion.ingredient35-40% fat content
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Italian pasta makers add chicken to only 3% of traditional recipes—this breaks 800 years of culinary rules.
Chicken Pasta
Dive into a dreamy bowl of creamy chicken pasta that's both a breeze to whip up and utterly scrumptious! Featuring tender chicken, al dente pasta, and a rich garlic-infused sauce, this dish is perfect for a cozy dinner or impressing guests. Get ready to savor the comfort of this irresistible meal!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 400 g chicken breast (0.88 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 400 ml cooking cream (13.5 fl oz)
- 60 g Parmesan cheese (2.12 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 300 g macaroni (10.6 oz)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (45 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- ½ tsp black pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp ground paprika (5 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (5 ml)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, season the chicken with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, ground paprika, and black pepper. Mix well.
- 2
Cook in a preheated pan (add a little oil if needed) until golden and fully cooked on both sides. Once done, remove the chicken from the pan.
- 3
Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the cooking cream and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- 4
Then add the cooked macaroni, Parmesan cheese, the chicken, and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix everything well until fully combined and creamy.
- 5
Serve warm. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pound chicken to uniform 3/4-inch thickness before seasoning because uneven pieces cook at different rates, leading to overcooked edges and undercooked centers.technique3/4-inch thickness
- ✓Heat your pan to 375-400°F before adding chicken to achieve proper Maillard browning - oil should shimmer but not smoke when ready.technique375-400°F
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining because the starch content (6-8%) acts as a natural emulsifier to bind cream sauce to pasta.timing6-8% starch content
- ✓Add pasta to cream sauce while both are hot (above 140°F) so the residual heat helps Parmesan melt smoothly without clumping or breaking.timingAbove 140°F
- ✓Use heavy cream with 35-40% fat content rather than light cream because higher fat prevents curdling when simmering and creates better sauce cohesion.ingredient35-40% fat content