There is nothing like a creamy, delicious fettuccine alfredo. But frankly, not all Alfredo is created equal. I have had many sauces claiming to be “alfredo” that are empty of flavor, or have an odd flavor that just doesn’t taste… well, good. When I say Alfredo, I’m thinking of that creamy pasta dish you can get from Olive Garden, topped with delicious chicken. Frankly, I don’t have the money to go to Olive Garden right now, and after learning how to make phenomenal alfredo myself, I don’t think I’ll ever pay someone for it again. It is not only easy, it’s pretty cheap to make!
Now, I can hear the Italians getting angry, so I will be honest. Truthfully, what we are making here is not an authentic Alfredo, since that is more similar to the noodles and butter that you might have grown up eating. Genuine Alfredo is fettuccine noodles, melted butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It’s simple, it’s delicious, but it’s not what we’re making here. Why do people in the United States call it Alfredo instead of something like “creamy parmesan fettuccine?” No idea. It’s kind of like how Peruvians call pizza with bologna on it “American Pizza.” I see the line of thought, and we do put ham on some pizzas here, but you could never find that in the States. With that said, I would like people like me who enjoy that creamy Olive Garden stuff to be able to find this recipe and stop paying so much for it, so I stuck with “alfredo” today.
This chicken fettuccine alfredo is creamy without watering down the thing that gives it flavor–parmesan. It can be made in about an hour, half of which is seasoning and cooking a delightful Italian-inspired chicken. There is not a lot of hands-off time in the hour it takes to make this recipe, so be ready to prepare any sides you want before you start cooking. However, if you’re a vegetarian or just don’t want to handle meat today, prepare to be done with dinner in 30 minutes with plenty of downtime.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided, canola or vegetable oil also work well
- 2 pounds chicken breasts About 2 chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder *aka bullion powder
- ½-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning oregano also works, but use less
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes *optional
Alfredo
- 16 ounces fettucine pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 Cup heavy cream
- 1 Cup grated parmesan cheese *plus extra for serving, I honestly just use the pre-grated stuff
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pepper to taste
How to Make It
Chicken
- Start heating a large frying pan on medium-high. Make sure that your chicken is only about 1 inch thick by either flattening it with your hand or cutting it in half longways (along the side so that it cooks quickly and evenly).
- Add salt to and start heating up a large pot of water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the chicken. Then add spices (salt, garlic powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and bullion powder), coating the breasts evenly. I like to put everything in a bowl and toss or toss it around until it looks good to me to me.
- Add chicken to the pan, laying it away from you so you don’t get burned! Let cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Then flip the chicken and let it cook for another 5-ish minutes, reducing the heat if necessary. If you are struggling to get the chicken to cook through, try putting a lid on the pan. You may need to work in batches.
- When your chicken is cooked (internal temperature of 165℉), place it on a plate or cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.
Alfredo
- Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al-dente, stirring occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave it for 30 seconds, then set it aside.
- In a large pan or bowl, add eggs, heavy cream, parmesan, garlic, and pepper, and whisk until combined.
- Once the pasta is done, drain and immediately toss into the pan or bowl with the parmesan mixture. Toss to coat. Serve with sliced chicken and a little extra parmesan.
Variations
- Add Some Kick: Throw on a little bit of red pepper flakes to give the dish a spicy flair that makes it pop.
- Add Some Green: Peas or spinach make lovely vegetable additions to this meal, making it a bit more well-rounded if you are not feeling up to coming up with a side dish. You can just toss them in with the cooked noodles, provided that you defrost any frozen peas beforehand. Note that spinach will shrink as it wilts from the heat, so give yourself a good handful.
- Breaded Chicken: If you really love the breaded chicken version of the alfredo, you can buy frozen chicken strips. Then just bake them according to package directions and cut them up before serving. This is also a faster and easier way to cook the meal, since you don’t have to cook the chicken yourself. However, I am not a huge fan of the breaded chicken on my alfredo, so I provide a recipe for people like me.
Storage
You can store cooked chicken fettuccine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This recipe makes more chicken than I usually end up using with my pasta, so I store the chicken separately and then use extra chicken for wraps and salads during the week. I can think of no way of freezing this that would not end up absolutely disgusting, so, sorry, no freezer options this time.
Final Thoughts
I love this recipe because it is delicious year-round, riding the line between light and hearty flawlessly. What’s more, most of the ingredients in this recipe have a decent shelf life, especially if you freeze your chicken like I do. So if you’re fridge is looking a little empty and you don’t want to run to the store, this dish is your friend. It makes excellent leftovers as both the pasta and chicken reheat well. Get ready to enjoy a delicious dish that will hit the spot enough to make you wonder if you’ll ever need to go back to Olive Garden again.
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 large pan
- 1 colander
- 1 large bowl *optional
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided, canola or vegetable oil also work well
- 2 pounds chicken breasts About 2 chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder *aka bullion powder
- ½-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning oregano also works, but use less
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes *optional
Alfredo
- 16 ounces fettucine pasta
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 Cup heavy cream
- 1 Cup grated parmesan cheese *plus extra for serving, I honestly just use the pre-grated stuff
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken
- Start heating a large frying pan on medium-high. Make sure that your chicken is only about 1 inch thick by either flattening it with your hand or cutting it in half longways (along the side so that it cooks quickly and evenly).
- Add salt to and start heating up a large pot of water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the chicken. Then add spices (salt, garlic powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and bullion powder), coating the breasts evenly. I like to put everything in a bowl and toss or toss it around until it looks good to me to me.
- Add chicken to the pan, laying it away from you so you don't get burned! Let cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Then flip the chicken and let it cook for another 5-ish minutes, reducing the heat if necessary. If you are struggling to get the chicken to cook through, try putting a lid on the pan. You may need to work in batches.
- When your chicken is cooked (internal temperature of 165℉), place it on a plate or cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.
Alfredo
- Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al-dente, stirring occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave it for 30 seconds, then set it aside.
- In a large pan or bowl, add eggs, heavy cream, parmesan, garlic, and pepper, and whisk until combined.
- Once the pasta is done, drain and immediately toss into the pan or bowl with the parmesan mixture. Toss to coat. Serve with sliced chicken and a little extra parmesan.
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