Chicken Parmesan Pasta

This chicken parmesan pasta is a lightened-up dinner that still qualifies as comfort food! Made with just a handful of ingredients, this chicken parm pasta will quickly become your go-to dinner recipe.

I've been making lots of chicken pasta recipes lately, and this chicken parmesan pasta has quickly become one of my family's favorites.

That's because it's a quick and easy dinner made with just a handful of ingredients. It's also full of flavor and creamy without being too heavy.

I make it with just a splash of half and half (single cream) instead of heavy cream, and the result is a light yet smooth sauce.

Why you'll love this chicken parmesan pasta

• It's the perfect pasta dish to whip up for an amazing dinner on a busy weeknight.
• The golden bits of chicken and heaps of grated parmesan make it absolutely delicious.
• It's comfort food at its best but made much healthier!

What goes into chicken parm pasta

Olive oil + butter - By cooking the chicken in a mix of extra virgin olive oil and butter, you get an extra flavorful base for the sauce.

Chicken - Chicken breast is perfect for this pasta dish. Cut it into 1-inch cubes so it cooks quickly and every bit becomes golden. You can also use rotisserie chicken in this recipe.

Onion - You don't need to take the chicken out of the pan to cook the rest of the ingredients, and that saves time. However, you'll have to dice the onion finely so it cooks quickly.

Garlic - Feel free to adjust the garlic to suit your taste!

Red chili flakes - Only add red chili flakes if you want your parmesan garlic chicken pasta to have a bit of a kick.

Italian seasoning - A tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix is a quick way to add flavor to this dish.

Tomato sauce (passata) - I like to keep this sauce smooth so I make it with tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes.

Half and half (single cream) - Adding ½ cup half and half (single cream) to the pasta sauce will make it creamy while keeping things light.

Parmesan - Freshly grated parmesan cheese is a must in this recipe! Don't use the boxed ready grated stuff from the store because it may get clumpy, and the flavor is not quite the same.

Pasta — I made this recipe with penne pasta, but any other type of short pasta would work.

How to make creamy chicken parmesan pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven and melt the butter in it. Add the cubed chicken breast and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly golden.

Stir in the onion, garlic and red chili flakes and cook for 2 more minutes, occasionally stirring, until the onion is softened.

Add the Italian seasoning and tomato sauce (passata) and stir to combine, then stir in the cream.

Allow the sauce to bubble for 2-3 minutes on low heat, then add the cooked pasta and stir in the grated parmesan.

Add the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve immediately.

Leftovers and storage

• This chicken parmesan pasta is best served immediately.
• If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• It's best to reheat this pasta dish in the microwave.

Recipe notes and tips

• If the sauce looks too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to reach the perfect consistency.
• Stir in some fresh basil leaves at the end for extra flavor.
• Add some veggies or greens to this garlic parmesan chicken pasta to make it more nutritious and bright. Brocolli and baby spinach are two great options.
• For a bit of texture and crunchiness, sprinkle some toasted breadcrumbs on top of individual bowls before serving.
• Transform this recipe into a chicken parmesan pasta bake by placing it in the baking dish, topping it with mozzarella and baking until the cheese is bubbling.

If you liked this chicken parmesan pasta recipe, you might also like some of my other easy chicken pasta recipes:

• Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
• Easy Creamy Spicy Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Chicken and Sausage Pasta
• Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta

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