Name: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 1 and 1/2 cups chicken stock; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 cups casarecce pasta (or fusilli, medium shells, rotini, etc.); 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded from the block (Parmigiano Reggiano recommended); 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced; Optional: 1/8 teaspoon black pepper + a tablespoon of parmesan for serving

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This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is so delicious with deep, rich flavors and it cooks all in one pot for easy clean up. Ready in just 45 minutes for a weeknight dinner you'll want to make on repeat.

This One Pot Chicken Pasta recipe is total comfort food and you'll get your protein intake from the chicken breast. The chicken cooks first in the dutch oven and leaves brown bits, which makes the creamy pasta sauce dark with rich flavors.

It's an incredible one pot dinner recipe and so easy to make! If you like one pot dinners, you'll love this Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes, Cheesy Beef Macaroni, Marry Me Chicken Tortellini, and Chicken Chorizo Paella.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Ingredients:
Substitutions and Variations:
How to Make Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta:
Expert Tips:
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
More Chicken Recipes to Try:
Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

Easy. No difficult techniques and easy to follow step by step instructions.
Quick. Ready in just 45 minutes.
One Pot Recipe. Makes for easy prep and quick clean up.
Flavor Packed. An Italian favorite with big taste from the garlic, heavy cream and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

If you're big on easy weeknight pastas, you'll love this Spaghetti Alfredo, Four Cheese Pasta, Creamy Pesto Pasta, Pink Sauce Pasta and Chicken Orzo Bake.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast: You only need 2 chicken breasts and we'll slice them each into 2 cutlets. I highly recommend Smart Chicken. It tastes amazing every time and requires minimal trimming, if any.

Parmesan Cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano is highly recommended for its superior quality and nutty taste, but it is more expensive than other brands. The most important thing for whatever type of parmesan you use, is to shred it yourself from the block. Bagged, pre-shredded cheeses do not melt well.

Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best taste, not the kind from the jar (aka jarlic).

Chicken Stock: Chicken stock versus chicken broth will bring in deeper, rich flavors because it's cooked with the bones.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations:

This version is really kid friendly with only 4 cloves of garlic. You can add double that for more intense flavors.
The Casarecce pasta can be swapped out with other varieties like mezze penne, rotini, etc. I would suggest using a similar sized pasta to the Casarecce to be similar with the cook times. Rigatoni might take longer, while smaller pastas like elbows, might cook faster.

For Italian appetizers to pair with this recipe, try this Caprese Burrata, Goat Cheese Crostini, or Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini.

How to Make Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta:

Step 1: Trim any excess fat off of the chicken breast. Turn your knife parallel to the cutting board and slice each chicken breast through the center, to create 2 thinner chicken cutlets. Repeat with the other breast to create 4 cutlets total.

Chicken in bowl with olive oil and spices.

Step 2: Add the cutlets into a bowl and pour in 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, oregano, and basil. Use your hands to toss the chicken around in the bowl and coat each side with the marinade. Allow to sit on the countertop for 5-10 minutes.

Step 3: Prepare a large dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add in the chicken breast. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip the chicken and cover the pot. Cook the other side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (usually about 4-6 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Note: Make sure to check each chicken breast temperature before removing as they will cook at different times depending on pan heat, thickness, etc.

Garlic and onion cooking in pan with browned bits.

Step 4: Reduce the heat of the dutch oven to medium low. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the onions with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, then add in garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.

Stock cooking in pot with onions and garlic.

Step 5: Pour in about ½ cup of the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to stir scrape the bottom of the pan. It will look more like beef broth at this point from the browned bits, which add a ton of flavor.

Step 6: Pour in remaining chicken stock, heavy cream and the pasta. Stir to combine. Cover the dutch oven and cook for 13-18 minutes until the noodles are the texture you like. I prefer al dente, firm when bitten into. Stir every 5-6 minutes to avoid the pasta from sticking to bottom of the pot.

Step 7: As the pasta is cooking, slice or dice the chicken breast into smaller pieces.

Step 8: Once the noodles are cooked, turn off the heat and add in parmesan cheese and half of the parsley. Stir into the pasta to melt the cheese.

Step 9: Top the creamy garlic parmesan pasta with chicken breast and remaining parsley. Sprinkle over a bit more parmesan & a little black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Expert Tips:

Try to slice the chicken cutlets in similar size so that they are fully cooked around the same time.
If you've really burnt the bottom of the pan from the chicken, let it cool down and wash it before adding the onions. We want browned bits, not bitter black bits. You're better off having a lighter colored sauce versus having a bitter taste.
Shred the parmesan from a block on the fine setting for a quick melt.

For more garlic parmesan recipes, try my Garlic Parmesan Risotto, Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings, Garlic Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, and Cheesy Stuffed Garlic Bread.

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. To reheat, add back into dutch oven covered with a splash of chicken stock until hot, stirring every few minutes.

More Chicken Recipes to Try:

If you tried this Garlic Chicken Pasta Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!

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