Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken
Made with perfectly cooked chicken cutlets, ample butter, onions, garlic, and fresh thyme, broth, cream, Parmesan cheese, and just a pinch of nutmeg.
Ingredients
- 3 cups short-cut pasta such as bowties, penne, or rotini
- Reserved pasta water as needed
For the Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3-4 chicken cutlets
- Garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste
For the Garlic Parmesan Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion about ½ an onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Generous handful of fresh spinach
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve some pasta water before draining and set aside.
- Season chicken cutlets with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In a large, high-edged pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 3–4 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Melt remaining butter in the same pan. Add onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir until combined. Whisk in white wine, simmering 1–2 minutes to cook off alcohol.
- Reduce heat slightly. Whisk in chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, and spinach. Simmer and stir until sauce thickens and spinach wilts. Add a pinch of nutmeg and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Slice cooked chicken and stir into sauce along with drained pasta. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve warm with extra Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.
Notes
- No white wine? No problem. This recipe is just as good without it, but if you would like to add some of that acidity back in, you can add a small splash of lemon juice.
- Reserve some pasta water. Pasta water is great for thinning out pasta sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Cook chicken first. The browned bits at the bottom (called fond) add extra flavor to the sauce.
- Use just a small pinch of nutmeg. It doesn't take much, but makes a huge difference in flavor
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
Nutrition
Calories: 585kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 38gFat: 28gSodium: 720mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g
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