Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe
There are some dinners that just feel like a warm hug at the end of a long day, and for my family, this Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe is exactly that. It’s the meal we turn to when diaries are crammed and we need something deeply satisfying that doesn’t demand hours of our time. It’s not about flashy techniques or obscure ingredients; it’s about a handful of good things, brought together in a way that just works, every single time. The magic is in the details: the chicken is seared until perfectly golden, the sauce is rich with garlic and Parmesan, and a final squeeze of lemon juice makes everything sing. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, which is the highest praise any parent can receive.
This dish is born from the need for a reliable, delicious family meal that feels a little bit special without any of the fuss. We’re talking tender chunks of chicken breast nestled in a velvety, savoury sauce, all clinging to perfectly cooked pasta. It’s the kind of pasta dinner that works beautifully for a midweek treat but is also impressive enough to serve when you have friends over. The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, which means all those lovely caramelised bits get incorporated, building a real depth of flavour that you just can’t get from a jar. It’s a straightforward recipe that delivers consistently wonderful results.
Recipe Overview
This chicken pasta recipe is all about creating a luxurious, creamy sauce without overcomplicating things. The flavour profile is savoury and rich, balancing salty Parmesan, pungent garlic, and the mellow sweetness of sautéed onion, all brightened with a touch of lemon. I’ve found through testing that searing the chicken separately and letting it rest is the key to keeping it succulent, rather than poaching it in the sauce. The result is a wonderfully textured and flavourful pasta dinner that feels indulgent yet comes together in about 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Genuine Flavour: The sauce achieves a beautiful depth from sautéing the garlic and onions in the same pan used for the chicken. The combination of double cream and proper chicken stock creates a velvety base that freshly grated Parmesan melts into seamlessly.
- Ready in 30 Minutes: From start to finish, this entire meal is on the table in about half an hour. It’s a genuine solution for those evenings when you need a hearty dinner without the long wait.
- Flexible Recipe: This recipe is a fantastic starting point. You can easily add mushrooms along with the onions, wilt a few large handfuls of spinach into the sauce at the end, or sprinkle some crispy pancetta over the top for extra texture and flavour.
- Great for a Family Meal: It’s a substantial and satisfying dish that caters to all ages. It’s filling, comforting, and has a flavour profile that isn’t too challenging for younger palates. It’s become a staple in our house, right up there with our Easy Ground Beef Tacos Recipe For Family Dinner.
- Family Tested: My husband, who’s usually picky, asked for seconds the first time I made this! It’s one of those rare dishes that gets a unanimous thumbs-up at our dinner table.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For a truly exceptional creamy pasta, the quality of your ingredients really matters. Using a block of Parmesan and grating it yourself will make a world of difference to the texture of your sauce. I always use a good quality, low-salt chicken stock, as it gives you more control over the final seasoning. Here’s what we’ll be using:
- 500g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) chunks
- 300g dried pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli work well)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 250ml double cream
- 150ml chicken stock
- 80g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Marcus’s Tip: Don’t be tempted by pre-grated Parmesan. It often contains anti-caking agents which can prevent it from melting smoothly, resulting in a slightly grainy sauce. Grating a block of Parmigiano Reggiano yourself takes moments and the payoff in flavour and texture is huge.
How to Make This Creamy Chicken Pasta
The process for this chicken pasta recipe is designed to be efficient and to build flavour at every stage. We’ll use one main pan for the chicken and the sauce, which not only saves on washing up but also ensures no flavour is lost.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve about 250ml (1 cup) of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Sear the Chicken: While the pasta is cooking, pat the chicken chunks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer (work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding) and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 74°C, as advised by the Food Standards Agency. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and dried oregano and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Build the Sauce: Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon – this is where so much flavour lives! Let it bubble and reduce by about half, which should take 2-3 minutes.
- Make it Creamy: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the double cream. Stir to combine and let it gently warm through for a minute, but do not let it boil. What works best for me is to take the pan off the heat entirely before the next step.
- Add the Cheese: Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it has completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Combine Everything: Return the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pan with the sauce. Add the drained pasta and toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are well-coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve immediately, topped with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Don’t Rush the Sear: The golden-brown crust on the chicken isn’t just for looks; it’s a layer of flavour known as the Maillard reaction. Give the chicken enough time and space in the pan to develop this colour properly. It makes a significant difference to the final dish.
- The Power of Pasta Water: I learned that the starchy water the pasta cooks in is liquid gold for sauce-making. The starch helps to emulsify the sauce, making it extra creamy and helping it cling to the pasta beautifully. Never just pour it all down the drain!
- Make-Ahead Sauce: You can prepare the sauce (steps 3-6) up to a day in advance. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to eat, gently reheat the sauce in a pan over a low heat, cook your pasta, and then combine everything as directed. If you love one-pot meals, my Creamy Chicken And Rice Recipe is another great one to try.
- Storage and Reheating: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the pasta in a saucepan over a low heat with a splash of milk or chicken stock to loosen the sauce, stirring gently until warmed through. Microwaving can sometimes make the chicken tough.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the Pan: When you add too much chicken to the pan at once, the temperature drops and the chicken ends up steaming in its own juices instead of searing. This prevents it from developing that delicious golden crust. If your pan isn’t large enough, it’s always better to cook the chicken in two separate batches.
- Boiling the Cream Sauce: Once the double cream and Parmesan are in the pan, the heat should be kept low. Boiling a cream-based sauce can cause it to split or curdle, leaving you with a grainy texture. A gentle, warming heat is all that’s needed to melt the cheese and bring it all together.
- Forgetting to Season the Pasta Water: Properly salting your pasta water is a fundamental step that seasons the pasta from the inside out. It’s your first and best opportunity to add flavour to the pasta itself. A good rule of thumb is to make it taste like the sea.
Delicious Variations to Try
One of the best things about this chicken pasta recipe is how adaptable it is. Once you have the basic technique down, you can tweak it to suit your tastes or use up whatever you have in the fridge.
- Add a Spicy Kick: For those who like a bit of heat, add ½ teaspoon of red chilli flakes to the pan along with the garlic. It provides a lovely warmth that cuts through the creaminess.
- Make it Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and use vegetable stock. Instead, sauté 250g of sliced chestnut or portobello mushrooms until golden brown and use these in place of the chicken. A large handful of fresh spinach wilted into the sauce at the end also works beautifully.
- Try it with Prawns: Swap the chicken for raw king prawns. Sauté them for just 2-3 minutes until pink and cooked through, then set them aside and add them back into the sauce at the very end with the pasta.
What to Serve With This Creamy Chicken Pasta
While this dish is a complete meal in its own right, a couple of simple accompaniments can elevate it further.
- Garlic Bread: A few slices of warm, crusty garlic bread are ideal for mopping up every last bit of the delicious creamy sauce.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp salad of rocket or mixed leaves, dressed with a sharp lemon and olive oil vinaigrette, provides a fresh, acidic contrast that balances the richness of the pasta perfectly.
- Wine Pairing: A dry, crisp white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or an Italian Pinot Grigio works wonderfully. Its acidity cuts through the creamy sauce without overpowering the delicate flavours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve about 250ml (1 cup) of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Sear the Chicken: While the pasta is cooking, pat the chicken chunks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer (work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding) and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 74°C, as advised by the Food Standards Agency. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Sauté the Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and dried oregano and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Build the Sauce: Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon – this is where so much flavour lives! Let it bubble and reduce by about half, which should take 2-3 minutes.
- Make it Creamy: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the double cream. Stir to combine and let it gently warm through for a minute, but do not let it boil. What works best for me is to take the pan off the heat entirely before the next step.
- Add the Cheese: Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it has completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Combine Everything: Return the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pan with the sauce. Add the drained pasta and toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are well-coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Serve immediately, topped with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
I really hope you give this creamy chicken pasta recipe a go. It’s a true and tested favourite in my home, and one of those dinners that just makes everyone happy. It’s satisfying, full of flavour, and a joy to cook. And if you’re looking for a dessert to follow it up, my Stuffed Cookies Recipe always gets rave reviews. I’d love to hear how you get on, so please do leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
From my kitchen to yours,
Marcus
