One-Pan Chicken Alfredo
Seared chicken and fettuccine finished together in a cream-Parmesan sauce, no second pot for the pasta water.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Written
Method
-
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear in olive oil over medium-high heat until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
-
Melt the butter in the same pan, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Pour in the broth and cream, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer.
-
Add the fettuccine, pressing it down until submerged, and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 12 to 14 minutes.
-
Stir in the Parmesan until melted and the sauce turns glossy.
-
Slice the chicken and return it to the pan with any accumulated juices, tossing to coat.
-
Finish with parsley and more Parmesan before serving.
Notes
The pasta cooks straight in the cream and broth, so its starch is what thickens the sauce — no separate pot, no roux, and no risk of the sauce breaking the way a cream sauce built apart from the pasta sometimes does. Keep the heat at a real simmer rather than a boil, or the cream can split before the fettuccine is done.
Swap in bone-in chicken thighs for more forgiving, harder-to-overcook meat, and adjust the sear time up a few minutes accordingly. Leftovers reheat fine with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce back up.