Chicken Alfredo Penne Pasta is a simple, satisfying dish with a buttery cheese sauce. Penne pasta smothered with comforting, creamy goodness delivers the perfect solution for a busy weeknight dinner.
When I first arrived in LA, the first thing that impressed me was the international food scene. You can easily travel around the world with your taste buds. And there is no shortage of Italian restaurants where you can get all kinds of Alfredo dishes.
ContentโฆChicken Alfredo With Penne Pasta |
Chicken Alfredo With Penne Pasta
The classic Alfredo sauce traditionally pairs with fettuccine. However, this versatile sauce goes great on any pasta, especially penne. The hollow macaroni-style pasta grabs that homemade Alfredo sauce and becomes one exquisite mouthful. Itโs the Italian version of soul-satisfying mac and cheese.
Making Chicken Alfredo Penne Pasta
Prep the Chicken
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning. You can use salt and pepper only if desired. (Photo 1)
- Flour Coating: On a plate, mix flour, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Dredge the chicken breast in this flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour. (Photo 2)
- Sear: Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet on medium-high heat until hot, then add the chicken. Sear for 4-5 minutes on each side to ensure even brownness. Gently remove the chicken and set it aside. (Photo 3)
Make the Alfredo Sauce
- Saute: Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Then add the garlic and thyme, and sautรฉ for a couple of minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant. (Photo 4)
- Make the Sauce: Turn the heat down to medium-low. Whisk in the heavy cream, then add cream cheese. Whisk until blended, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. (Photo 5)
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Reduce heat to low, whisking often to make sure everything melts together and avoid burning. Simmer for 4-6 minutes or until the Alfredo sauce thickens. (Photos 6-7)
- Add the Pasta: Add the cooked pasta, followed by spinach (if using), and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly. Adjust seasonings to taste. (Photo 8)
- Assemble: Turn off the heat, slice the chicken breasts, and return them to the pan so it can soak up some of the sauce.
- Serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Save some of your pasta water after cooking the penne pasta in case you need to adjust the thickness of your sauce.
- Simmer a thin sauce a little longer to thicken it up.
- While pre-grated Parmesan works, freshly grating a block of good quality Parm will get you creamier results. The anti-caking agents in the boxed stuff affect the texture and taste.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
My family often requests this dish even if they just had it the night before. That means making a double batch gives me a night off once in a while.
Store the sauce and pasta separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you keep them together, the pasta will soak up some of the moisture and dry out the sauce. A quick fix is to add milk or broth to loosen it back up.
Menu Ideas
Creamy Alfredo sauce over penne pasta goes wonderfully with garlic bread and a Greek salad. Steamed broccoli and Caesar salad are other fantastic sides. Finish this hearty meal with brown sugar pound cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More Simple Pasta Dishes to Try
- One-Pot Pasta Dishes
- Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Fettuccine
- Pasta Casseroles
- Shrimp Pasta Dishes
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=โy8feA7Y7โณ upload-date=โ2020-12-03T13:14:08.000Zโ name=โChicken Alfredoโ description=โChicken Alfredo โ perfectly rich and creamy chicken pasta dish cooked in one pan using just a handful of ingredients with a dreamy and hearty Alfredo sauce thatโs ready to take you head over heels. Easy and fancy meal thatโs perfect for dinner date night or for busy weeknights.โ player-type=โcollapseโ override-embed=โfalseโ]
This blog post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Chicken Alfredo Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
- salt and pepper to taste
- ยฝ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon (4-5g) garlic powder
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (10g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon (1g) fresh thyme
- 2 cups (473ml) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese
- ยฝ cup (118ml) chicken stock
- ยฝ cup (60g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces (225g) penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 2-3 cups (84-130g) spinach (optional)
- fresh parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, then season with Italian seasoning. (You can use just salt and pepper if desired.)
- Mix the flour, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder on a plate. Coat the chicken breasts with the flour mixture, then shake off the excess flour.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat until hot, then add the chicken. Sear for 4-5 minutes on each side to ensure even browning. Gently remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and thyme. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, and whisk in the heavy cream. Add cream cheese, continue to whisk until blended, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the chicken broth. Add the parmesan cheese, stir until it melts, and reduce heat to low. Whisk often to make sure everything melts and to avoid burning. Let it cook for 4-6 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Add cooked pasta and spinach, then mix well to coat the pasta with the sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Turn off the heat, slice the chicken breasts, and return them to the pan so it can soak up some of the sauce.
- Serve hot with the sliced chicken breast on top and garlic bread on the side.
Tips & Notes:
- Save some of your pasta water after cooking the penne pasta in case you need to adjust the thickness of your sauce.
- Simmer a thin sauce a little longer to thicken it up.
- While pre-grated Parmesan works, freshly grating a block of good quality Parm will get you creamier results. The anti-caking agents in the boxed stuff affect the texture and taste.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Ines Di Lelio says
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF โFETTUCCINE ALLโALFREDOโ (โFETTUCCINE ALFREDOโ), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT โIL VERO ALFREDOโ โ โALFREDO DI ROMAโ IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of โFettuccine allโAlfredoโ (โFettuccine Alfredoโ) in 1908 in the โtrattoriaโ run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This โtrattoriaโ of Piazza Rosa has become the โbirthplace of fettuccine allโAlfredoโ.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the โfettuccine allโAlfredoโ, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant โAlfredoโ in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 โIl Vero Alfredoโ (โAlfredo di Romaโ), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous โgold cutleryโ (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See the website of โIl Vero Alfredoโ.
I must clarify that other restaurants โAlfredoโ in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand โIl Vero Alfredo โ Alfredo di Romaโ.
The brand โIl Vero Alfredo โ Alfredo di Romaโ is present in Mexico with a restaurant in Mexico City and a trattoria in Cozumel) on the basis of franchising relationships with the Group Hotel Presidente Intercontinental Mexico.
The restaurant โIl Vero Alfredoโ is in the Registry of โHistoric Shops of Excellence โ section on Historical Activities of Excellenceโ of the Municipality of Roma Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you so much for the history of such a delicious recipe.
Brittany says
I love your recipes and Iโve cooked several of them!! I would like to know how would I adjust the ingredients using a 16oz box of pasta? thank you in advance.
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you. Double the the recipe and adjust thickness with chicken broth or cream.
James says
Forgot to mention, I also like to add half squeezed lemon sometimes also. Give it a little zest ( but I do love citrus)
ImmaculateBites says
Nice!! ๐ Thanks for sharing.
James Whitehead says
Finally, I was just skimming thru stuff and found your recipe. Unbeknownst to me ( I just use what I think will taste good ). I read yours and see ours are almost identical, except I dont put chicken broth ( so to speak ). I use thighs and when almost done add a little pasta water and half stick butter to the chicken. Then it creates a little sauce and I use that. And the cream cheese is a must i say, have always used it ( room temperature of course) . I also like to chop ( fine ) scallion on top because I like green onions.
ImmaculateBites says
Wow. Your tweaks sound delicious!! Thanks for sharing, James.
Nate says
Hi Imma love ur cooking, I once saw ur recipe I believe is a Chinese dish made with egg plant and soy sauce not the name, looks like stir fry ty
Imma says
There is a stir-fry chicken recipe. But it doesnโt have eggplant. https://www.africanbites.com/stir-fry-chicken/ Let me know if this is the one you are looking for?
Justice says
Hello,
First off, I love all of your recipes, Iโve been teaching myself how to cook since recently married and I win every time when I use one of your recipes, thanks!
What if I do not have any milk? I have almond milk here but I doubt that will taste good. Any suggestions?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Justice. Thank you for dropping by. I canโt provide any suggestions tho since I havenโt tried playing around with this recipe yet using other types of milk. But almond milk works fine, I guess, as long as you donโt skip the heavy cream.
Fizza says
Can we use cream instead of cream cheese?
Lisa says
What I I have got the Alford sauce in the jar because that is what my husband bought ,but I have boiled my chicken and drained it and cut lt up and I am boiling my pasta now .so where do I go from here I mean what do I do after my pasta has boiled and i dran it like I said my husband bought the alfordo sause in the jar? And I need a answer asap cause like I said Iโm just waiting on my pasta to finish boiling Iโve done got chicken boiled and cut up and set aside!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Lisa,
Your best bet would beto follow the manufacturer instructions , It will yield a better outcome. Itโs best to make this recipe from scratch ,
Dave says
Really great to have a home cooked meal. I enjoyed this recipe a lot, and it was easy to make.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Dave. Glad you loved it! Thanks for stopping by!
Melissa says
My whole family loved this recipe !! Was easy and tasted great ! Will make it again and often !!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hello Melissa. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by!
Olga says
Love the recipe sweetie
Will do my cooking today
Hopefully would be beautiful as yours
I
Decided to grill chicken first so will see if it will give any difference
I
Love to cook Eastern Europe dishes cause my origin from there
So would love to share with you if you interested
Regards
Olga
wen says
Been visiting your site alot lately. Iโve tried a couple of your recipe with great results. This looks good, might be my next dish. I have one question about the chicken when you say set aside you mean continue cooking in the oven?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Wen! Set aside here means you simply put the chicken in a plate after browning it or having it ready on the side as you proceed with the next steps.
Val from Southern Maryland says
(Hate auto correct!) Comment should have been โhow much oil to use to saute the chicken.โ
Val from Southern Maryland says
Loved the recipe. However, you donโt list how much oil to use to share the chicken.
Iโm an avid cook so I knew how much is use. Sauce was a little thin but thickened upon cooling. Great taste! Really easy.