This Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta recipe is rich and creamy, and the ultimate comfort food pasta. It's an easy and delicious dinner recipe the whole family will love!
Sometimes you just want a big bowl of rich, creamy pasta with nourishing protein.
If you're like me, that sometimes is actually all the time!
Some of my favorite hearty pasta bowl recipes are Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken, Cajun Shrimp Pasta, and this dairy-free Creamy Ground Beef Pasta.
But this Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta might be up there with one of the all-time most comforting of comfort food pasta dishes. It's got a rich, creamy sauce and beautifully seasoned chicken breast.
Now, I usually make this pasta dairy free, and I've included the dairy-free recipe instructions here as well. But I've made the main recipe with regular dairy for all of you folks who don't need to worry about the dairy.
Enjoy a big bowl of this nourishing pasta tonight!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
This recipe deliciously combines a pair of meal-time stapes in our house: pasta and chicken. And there are so many reasons to love it:
Packed with flavor: Loaded with aromatics, herbs, and parmesan cheese for a tangy kick, this dish is loaded with tasty goodness.
Great for groups: This recipe makes 6 large portions, so it's the perfect dish to make for a dinner party or get together. And you may even have some leftovers to enjoy the next day!
Easy-to-find, everyday ingredients: You can get all the ingredients at your local supermarket. No need to spend time shopping specialty stores or searching online.
Simple to make dairy free: If you can't do dairy, simply swap out the heavy cream for dairy free whipping cream and the parmesan for non-dairy cheese shreds. This dish will still be hearty and rich and you won't sacrifice any of the flavor.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Chicken breasts - Sliced into strips.
- Olive oil - To sauté the chicken.
- Butter - Melting some butter in the pan will help deglaze it after cooking the chicken.
- Pasta - I use rigatoni as the ridges help soak up the sauce.
- Onions and garlic - These aromatics add more depth of flavor to the dish.
- Oregano and thyme - To give the chicken some tasty herb flavors.
- Paprika - This adds some slight smokiness to the dish.
- Chicken stock - As the base for the sauce.
- Heavy cream - For rich, creaminess.
- Parmesan - Adding parmesan shreds to the sauce gives it a pleasant tanginess.
- Lemon wedge and parsley - To garnish.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Once you've gathered all your ingredients, you're ready to start. Here are step-by-step photos to help you create this dish. You'll find the full list of ingredients, as well as measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook pasta in a large pot according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken with the oregano, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper, then sauté in a large skillet until cooked through. Set aside.
- Melt butter in the pan and deglaze it by scraping up all the browned bits.
- Add the onions and garlic and sauté just until soft.
- Sprinkle over flour. Stir together until dry flour is no longer visible.
- Add chicken broth.
- Then add heavy cream and stir together.
- Fold in most of the shredded parmesan until it's melted. Save some for garnish.
- Add the pasta and coat with sauce.
- Toss in the chicken and coat it as well.
- Cook for about a minute to infuse the seasonings into the pasta.
- Serve with chopped parsley, remaining cheese, and lemon wedge.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
To make this pasta dairy-free, substitute the regular unsalted butter with vegan butter and the heavy cream with dairy-free heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk. You can also use dairy-free parmesan shreds in place of the regular parmesan.
To make this pasta vegetarian, omit the chicken and add the spices to the onion and garlic when you saute them. Then substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock.
Yes! To enjoy this garlic parmesan pasta as a vegan dish, follow the instructions above for making it dairy-free and vegetarian.
Once the pasta has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
🍽 Serving ideas
We love pairing pasta with some sort of bread. A few great options are air fryer garlic bread, garlic rosemary focaccia, and garlic parmesan knots, which complements the parmesan in the pasta.
You can also serve it with some fresh and light greens like an arugula and pear salad or a Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
Chardonnay - Pair this rich pasta dish with an oaked Chardonnay. The buttery texture of the wine will complement the richness of the dish and the acidity will help balance out the creaminess of the sauce.
Vermentino - If you prefer more acidity, go for a lively Vermentino. These lighter-bodied white wines have tangy notes of citrus that help cut through the richer pasta.
Chianti Classico - For reds, a bright Chianti Classico also provides some balanced acidity, as well as some light fruitiness that won't make the dish feel too heavy.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Large pot - This 6-quart, non-stick pot works great for making pasta.
- Large skillet - I love this HexClad skillet for sauteing the chicken in this pasta.
More chicken pasta recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Creamy Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta (dairy-free option)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ - ½ cup hot starchy pasta water
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- optional: lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the chicken, oregano, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Season all sides of the chicken slices well. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken slices and cook through, about 3-5 minutes. Once all of the chicken pieces are cooked through, remove and transfer to a plate; set aside.
- Add the butter to the pan and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan from the chicken.
- Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, just until soft and fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic and stir together, just for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until there is no visible dry flour.
- Pour in the chicken broth, then the heavy cream, and stir together.
- Add about ¾ of the shredded parmesan and stir together until the cheese has melted.
- Add the pasta and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and stir into the sauce, cooking all together for 1 minute to infuse the seasonings from the chicken into the sauce and pasta.
- Serve with sprinkled chopped fresh parsley over it and remaining parmesan cheese, with a side of lemon wedge per serving, if desired.
Notes
- Substitute vegan butter for regular unsalted butter.
- Substitute dairy-free heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk for the regular heavy cream
- Substitute dairy-free parmesan shred alternative for regular parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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