This Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta combines tender seasoned chicken and penne with a rich garlic Parmesan cream sauce that clings to every bite. It's an easy, comforting family dinner made with plenty of fresh garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, and Parmesan.
Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta At A Glance
- 🍽️ Course: Main Course
- ⏱️ Time: Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Total: 40 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 6
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Creamy, garlicky, savory, cheesy
- 🥗 Best Served With: Garlic bread, green salad, or roasted vegetables
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Best freshly made, but the chicken and ingredients can be prepped ahead
Summarize and Save This Content On
The sauce starts with a light roux before adding broth and cream, giving it enough body to coat the pasta without becoming overly thick. Freshly grated Parmesan finishes the sauce, while optional spinach or sun-dried tomatoes make it easy to change things up.
If you love creamy pasta dinners, try my chicken bacon ranch mac and cheese or easy creamy boursin pasta recipe next. This air fryer frozen garlic bread is perfect for serving alongside it.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Creamy Sauce That Clings: A light roux, heavy cream, chicken broth, and Parmesan create a rich sauce that coats the chicken and pasta without becoming overly thick. Just like our marry me chicken meatballs.
- Bold Garlic Flavor: Fresh garlic is a defining flavor rather than disappearing into the cream sauce.
- Complete Family Dinner: Chicken, pasta, and homemade Parmesan sauce make this a filling meal that's easy to customize with vegetables.
How We Tested This Recipe
- Cream-to-Broth Ratio: We found 2 cups heavy cream to 1 cup chicken broth gave us the best balance of richness and consistency. More broth produced a thinner, less creamy sauce, while more cream became heavy and overly thick once the Parmesan was added. The 2:1 ratio coated the pasta without becoming gluey.
- Roux: Two tablespoons of flour gave the 3 cups of liquid enough thickening power during the short 3-5 minute simmer. One tablespoon produced a noticeably thinner sauce with less cling, while skipping the flour required more reduction and was more prone to looking oily.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan melted noticeably smoother than pre-shredded cheese, which produced a grainier sauce. One cup added enough Parmesan flavor and body without overpowering the garlic cream sauce or making it overly salty and heavy.
- Garlic: Five to six cloves gave us the bold garlic flavor this recipe needs. Two to three cloves faded into the background, while more than 6-7 became harsher than we wanted.
- Pasta Shape: Penne worked especially well because its hollow center and ridged exterior captured the thick sauce. Spaghetti didn't hold the sauce as well, while rigatoni performed similarly to penne and makes an excellent substitute.
Ingredients
Simple pasta-night ingredients come together to make this creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta. The chicken and sauce are prepared in the same skillet, so the browned bits left behind from cooking the chicken add flavor to the sauce.
- Penne Pasta: A sturdy short pasta that works especially well with this creamy sauce.
- Chicken Breast: Cut into bite-size pieces for quick, even cooking and chicken in every serving.
- Salt, Pepper & Italian Seasoning: Season the chicken before it hits the skillet.
- Olive Oil: Helps brown the chicken without sticking.
- Butter, Garlic & Flour: Create the flavorful roux that forms the foundation of the sauce.
- Chicken Broth & Heavy Cream: Combine to create the savory, creamy sauce.
- Parmesan: Adds savory, cheesy flavor and helps give the sauce body.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional for a subtle touch of heat.
- Spinach or Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Optional additions for extra color and flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Change the Pasta: Substitute rigatoni, rotini, fusilli, or farfalle for the penne.
- Use Chicken Thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs add a slightly richer flavor; adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Add Vegetables: Try broccoli, mushrooms, peas, asparagus, or your favorite quick-cooking vegetable.
- Make It Tuscan-Style: Add spinach and sun-dried tomatoes when returning the chicken to the sauce.
- Make It Spicier: Increase the red pepper flakes or add a small pinch of cayenne.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta
This creamy garlic and chicken pasta comes together in four stages: cook the pasta, brown the chicken, prepare the garlic parmesan sauce, and toss everything together.
Step 1: Cook the Pasta, Season and Cook the Chicken. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Make the Garlic Parmesan Sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Step 3: Finish the Garlic Parmesan Sauce.
Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, followed by the heavy cream. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat as needed and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
Step 4: Combine and Serve. Return the chicken to the skillet and stir to coat. Add the cooked penne and toss until everything is evenly covered in sauce. Stir in spinach or sun-dried tomatoes, if using, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until heated through. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately with crockpot green beans.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy our crockpot garlic parmesan chicken pasta and marry me chicken pasta.
Expert Tips
- Don't Brown the Garlic: Cook it only until fragrant. Garlic can become bitter if it browns before the remaining sauce ingredients are added.
- Add the Broth Gradually: Slowly whisk the broth into the roux to create a smooth sauce without flour lumps.
- Adjust the Consistency: If the finished sauce becomes thicker than you prefer, stir in a small amount of chicken broth, cream, or reserved pasta water.
Storage Directions
Refrigerator: Cool leftovers and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freezing isn't recommended for the best texture because cream sauces can separate and cooked pasta may soften after thawing.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat or microwave in short intervals. Add a splash of milk, cream, or broth as needed to loosen the sauce.
Make Ahead: Cut and season the chicken and grate the Parmesan ahead of time, but prepare the sauce and combine the pasta shortly before serving for the creamiest result.
Serving Suggestions
- Bread: Air fryer garlic bread, breadsticks, sweet French onion bread with sage, onion soup bread (1968), or crusty bread are perfect for soaking up the creamy sauce.
- Salad: Pair with a Caesar salad, simple green salad, or old fashioned cucumbers and onions in vinegar to balance the richness.
- Vegetables: Serve with roasted broccoli and carrots, easy broiled asparagus, hot honey Brussels sprouts, or green beans for an easy family dinner.
Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta FAQs
Yes. Rigatoni is an especially good substitute for penne, but rotini, fusilli, or farfalle also work well with this creamy sauce.
Yes, but the sauce will be lighter and thinner because this recipe was developed using heavy cream.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
If you love creamy chicken dinners like this one, try more of our easy chicken pasta recipes for comforting family meals throughout the week.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 oz penne pasta or rigatoni
Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
Optional Add-Ins
- 1 cup spinach
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, followed by the heavy cream. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Reduce the heat as needed and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and stir to coat. Add the cooked penne and toss until everything is evenly covered in sauce.
- Stir in spinach or sun-dried tomatoes, if using, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until heated through. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately
Notes
- Cook the Garlic Gently: Heat it only until fragrant to prevent bitterness.
- Whisk Gradually: Slowly add the broth to the roux to keep the sauce smooth.
- Use Fresh Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly into the cream sauce.
- Adjust the Sauce: Add a splash of broth, cream, or reserved pasta water if it becomes too thick.
- Check the Chicken: Cook chicken to a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Marianne says
We loved this pasta dish and will be definitely making it again. Such a nice surprise. Thank you
Karin and Ken says
I'm so happy you were pleasantly surprised. I just love this pasta dish. Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much. Take care. Karin