Description
A comforting, indulgent pasta dish featuring tender chicken breasts seared to perfection, served over creamy garlic Parmesan rotini pasta. Perfect for weeknights yet impressive enough for guests.
Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts
12 oz rotini pasta
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
1. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove and rest.
2. In a medium saucepan, boil rotini pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
3. In the same skillet used for chicken, melt remaining butter. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Pour in cream, stir to deglaze, and mix in Parmesan until melted.
4. Toss pasta into sauce, adding pasta water if needed for creaminess. Adjust seasoning.
5. Slice chicken and serve over pasta. Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan.
Notes
For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream.
Always reserve pasta water — it helps the sauce cling beautifully.
Freshly grated Parmesan melts better than pre-grated cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta, Chicken Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Italian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
Keywords: creamy garlic Parmesan chicken pasta, rotini chicken dinner