Description
A cozy, one-pot comfort meal featuring seared chicken breast, penne pasta, and a creamy garlic parmesan sauce. Perfect for weeknights when you want rich flavors without a sink full of dishes. This dish comes together fast and delivers big on comfort and flavor.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 ½ cups penne pasta, uncooked
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add a splash of oil.
2. Season sliced chicken breast with salt, pepper, and chili flakes if using.
3. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and minced garlic to the same pot. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Add heavy cream and stir in parmesan cheese until smooth and melted.
7. Add uncooked penne pasta to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 12–14 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Once the pasta is tender and the sauce thickened, return sliced chicken to the pot.
9. Stir in chopped parsley, adjust seasoning if needed, and let everything warm through.
10. Serve hot with extra parmesan if desired.
Notes
Sear the chicken in batches if your pan is small to prevent steaming instead of browning.
Don’t skip stirring the pasta occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pot bottom.
Use freshly grated parmesan—not the shelf-stable kind—for a smoother sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cups
- Calories: 680
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 760mg
- Fat: 37g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
Keywords: creamy chicken pasta, one pot pasta, garlic parmesan penne