• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Savory / Creamy Chicken Pasta

    Creamy Chicken Pasta

    March 31, 2022 By Sam 21 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    collage of creamy chicken pasta, top image of dish in pot close up, bottom image taken further away

    This Creamy Chicken Pasta dinner takes less than half an hour from start to finish. Serve it with a salad and bread, and you’ve got a satisfying meal for the whole family! Recipe includes a how-to video!

    fork scooping a serving of creamy chicken pasta from a stainless steel skillet

    A Quick & Easy Chicken Dinner

    This quick & easy creamy chicken pasta is ideal for those nights when you want to serve your family something filling and fast. This dish takes only 25 minutes to make and the spice level can easily be customized for either younger or more sophisticated palates.

    The sauce is rich, creamy, and perfectly garlicky, and it pairs so well with the seasoned chicken. I highly recommend serving your pasta with a salad (I like to do broccoli salad, but a traditional garden salad works, too) and homemade breadsticks for a hearty and satisfying meal!

    I hope your family loves this chicken pasta recipe as much as mine does. Let’s get cooking!

    What You Need

    ingredients for creamy chicken pasta

    This creamy chicken pasta is anything but bland! We’ll be adding lots of seasonings, a few veggies, and some optional herbs for maximum flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

    • Linguine. You could substitute a different kind of pasta, but long, thin noodles like spaghetti, fettuccine, or even bucatini will work best.
    • Seasonings & spices. Including salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat), and Italian seasoning.
    • Flour. We’ll dredge our chicken in just a little all-purpose flour after seasoning it. This won’t create a thick breading, but it will give the chicken a golden-crisp exterior.
    • Chicken. Once its seasoned and dredged, you’ll cook your chicken in olive oil and butter. After its done cooking, there will likely be brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Don’t discard them! They’ll create a flavorful base for our sauce.
    • Chicken broth. This will help us scrape up those brown bits from cooking the chicken. If you’d like, you could substitute the broth with white wine.
    • Garlic & onion. As with my rigatoni, we’ll use these two vegetables for lots of flavor.
    • Heavy cream. For just the right amount of creaminess!
    • Parmesan cheese. Just ¼ cup flavors the sauce. Make sure it melts into the cream before serving.
    • Fresh parsley. This adds freshness to what could be a somewhat heavy dish. You can always skip it if you’re not a fan though!

    SAM’S TIP: I always break my linguine in half before cooking (it makes it easier to eat) and drizzle it with a very small amount of oil afterward (to prevent sticking). I know I’m going to get some complaints about this, but it works for me and will make things easier for you too. If it really bothers you though, you can cook whole.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Creamy Chicken Pasta

    collage of four photos showing how to prep and cook the chicken for creamy chicken pasta
    1. Whisk together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Sprinkle each chicken breast with seasoning, then use your hands to rub the seasoning into the chicken and make sure everything is coated.
    2. Dredge each chicken breast in flour and set them aside while you heat your butter and oil in a pan.
    3. Cook the chicken on one side for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook until done.
    4. Place the cooked chicken on a plate and add your chopped onion to the pan.
    collage of four photos showing how to make the sauce for and assemble creamy chicken pasta
    1. Cook the onion until it softens, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
    2. Slowly drizzle in the chicken broth and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits up from the bottom of the pan as you pour.
    3. Add the heavy cream, remaining salt, and Italian seasoning. Stir very well. Let the mixture come to a simmer, then add your parmesan and cook until it melts into the sauce.
    4. Test test for any additional seasonings before adding your pasta and chicken to the sauce. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the pasta and chicken are warmed through. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

    SAM’S TIP: The sauce will seem thin at first, but it will thicken the longer it sits and as the pasta soaks it up. If you have leftovers, the sauce will be mostly absorbed by the noodles, so I like to add a splash of chicken broth if I am reheating the next day.

    creamy chicken pasta dinner consisting of linguine pasta in a garlic cream sauce topped with seasoned chicken breasts

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use milk instead of cream?

    Whole milk might work, but it would definitely thin things out (probably too much!). I recommend sticking with cream for a perfectly thickened, velvety, chicken pasta sauce.

    Is this an alfredo sauce?

    Kind of. This sauce is a twist on the Americanized version of alfredo sauce (cream, parmesan, and butter). I dilute it slightly with chicken broth and add seasonings and veggies to keep it from being too rich though.

    Can I use pre-cooked chicken instead?

    I wouldn’t recommend it. The sauce gets a lot of its flavor from the seasoned chicken as it cooks in the pan (and thickens some thanks to the flour used to cook the chicken, too), and you’d greatly miss that if you used pre-cooked chicken. Spend the few extra minutes (really, it’s less than 10!) and just cook your chicken yourself!

    overhead view of a stainless steel skillet full of creamy chicken pasta

    Enjoy!

    More Recipes You Might Like

    • Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe
    • Artichoke Dip
    • Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    linguine pasta in a cream sauce topped with chopped seasoned chicken breasts

    Creamy Chicken Pasta

    This creamy chicken pasta dinner takes less than half an hour from start to finish. Serve it with a salad and bread, and you've got a satisfying meal for the whole family!
    Recipe includes a how-to video!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 769kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz dry linguine (226g)
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour (63g)
    • ¾ teaspoon table salt divided
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
    • Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
    • 1 lb chicken breast cut into 4 portions (453g)
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion about 1 medium-sized onion (140g)
    • 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
    • 1 ⅓ cup chicken broth (315ml)
    • 1 cup heavy cream (236ml)
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (22g)
    • Fresh parsley for garnish optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Skillet
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Begin cooking pasta in heavily salted water according to package directions. Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and set aside (if pasta is finished far in advance of the sauce, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil to prevent sticking).
    • Meanwhile, set aside flour in a shallow dish. In another dish, whisk together ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using).
    • Sprinkle chicken breast with spice mix and rub over the surface of the chicken, then dredge each breast in flour.
    • Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, transfer chicken to the pan, spacing so the meat is not touching. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes until browned, then flip and cook on the other side until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
    • Add onion to the pan and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
    • Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    • Slowly drizzle in chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan as you do. Add heavy cream, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning and stir well.
    • Stir well, bring to a simmer and add parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until melted. Taste-test and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
    • Add pasta to the pot and return chicken as well (you can slice the chicken before returning to the pot or leave it whole). Stir well, allow to simmer until chicken and pasta are warmed through and sauce is thickened enough to coat noodles then serve. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 769kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1029mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1181IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Related Recipes

    • Chicken Pot Pie (with Biscuit or Classic Topping!)
    • Cajun Chicken with Penne Pasta
    • Baked Ziti Recipe
    • Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot Dinner Recipe!)
    « Simply the Best Banana Bread Recipe
    Carrot Cake Cheesecake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alice Rathbun

      February 02, 2023 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      The chicken was so moist I add little too much pasta but it was great. Thank you

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 02, 2023 at 9:25 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed, Alice! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for letting me know how it turned out!

        Reply
    2. Suzy Ellis

      January 23, 2023 at 11:50 am

      Can you make this dairy free

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 23, 2023 at 1:50 pm

        Hi Suzy! We haven’t tried it ourselves, so we can’t say for sure. If you try it, definitely let us know how it goes for you!

        Reply
        • Trish

          January 24, 2023 at 5:50 pm

          Cooked this tonight it was delicious. Even our picky eater loved it ! 😄

        • Sam

          January 24, 2023 at 8:31 pm

          I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Trish! 🙂

    3. Lisa Marie

      January 22, 2023 at 1:06 pm

      Made this today. Yummy. Still, always takes me twice as long to make it. Did the linguine in the Tupperware pasta maker. Loving that because it’s so much faster than waiting for the pot to boil.

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 22, 2023 at 9:12 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Michelle

      April 18, 2022 at 7:09 pm

      Thank you for a totally awesome new dinner. I have very picky children and they asked if they can have this often. I wish the sauce was thicker for my taste but we will add this in our meal rotation for sure.

      Reply
    5. Katie

      April 12, 2022 at 8:02 am

      5 stars
      Everything I have made from you has been a huge hit with my family!!! I am so happy I found your website! Thank you so much for your excellent baking and cooking. Never stop!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 14, 2022 at 9:17 am

        Thank you so much, Katie! 🙂

        Reply
      • Beverly

        April 17, 2022 at 6:03 pm

        5 stars
        Made this for dinner tonight. So delicious! I liked adding the sliced chicken back to the pasta and sauce as it added yummy flavor! Added to the dinner rotation!

        Reply
    6. Sarah

      April 07, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      5 stars
      Sam, thank you again for a wonderful recipe. I love your savory recipes so keep them coming!
      I followed the recipe as written. I do have to admit I get a little antsy and impatient with waiting for things to thicken, but the sauce came together with the noodles very well with a little patience! Really enjoyed the flavors especially the chicken! We’ll be making again. And thank you for the measurements as I always seem to have a random amount of pasta laying around somewhere and my food scale comes in handy quite often.

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 08, 2022 at 8:54 am

        You are very welcome, Sarah! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Linda Wagner

      April 05, 2022 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      I have a somewhat picky chicken eater–and he declared this recipe a winner! I also loved the mix of spices, onion and garlic with the cream! This recipe is one I’ll cook a lot!

      Reply
    8. Jerri O'Rorke

      March 31, 2022 at 9:15 pm

      Can you use shrimp in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 01, 2022 at 9:36 am

        Hi Jerri! That sounds delicious! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Brian

      March 31, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Sam, This looks delicious, and I can’t wait to make it. I’m always a bit nervous when cooking chicken (salmonella concerns), so how long in total should the chicken breasts cook? If they are good at 2 – 3 for one side, then how much for the other side? Many thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 01, 2022 at 9:51 am

        Hi Brian! Unfortunately there are too many variables for me to give you an exact time. I would recommend getting an instant read thermometer (here’s my affiliate link) to help ensure your meats are fully cooked. 🙂

        Reply
        • Brian

          April 01, 2022 at 9:01 pm

          Thank you, Sam. That is very helpful. I can’t wait to make this, as it looks so delicious. Have a good weekend.

        • Lisa Marie

          January 22, 2023 at 1:04 pm

          Thanks for link to thermo. My chicken looked fine on outside but not even close inside. Made sure to cut into all pieces to ensure done. This will help.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Cozy Soup Recipes

    Overhead of two bowls of corn chowder

    Summer Corn Chowder

    Two bowls of turkey chowder

    Turkey Chowder

    bowl of chicken and rice soup with spoon scooping a bite

    Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot Dinner Recipe!)

    lasagna soup in white bowl

    Lasagna Soup

    White Chicken chili in a bowl with toppings

    White Chicken Chili

    CHICKEN tortilla soup in white bowl

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy|Accessibility Statement

    Footer

    Subscribe To My Newsletter!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    [widget id="simple-social-icons-3"]

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved