Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

I Can’t Get Enough of This Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Easy garlic parmesan chicken pasta is special enough to serve for date night in or when you have company, yet it’s quick enough to throw together on a casual weeknight when you want something a little extra.

A silky smooth, creamy sauce with plenty of parmesan coats the noodles, and juicy and flavorful seasoned chicken adds to the savory flavors that are to die for. Serve it with a simple side of vegetables like air fryer green beans or air fryer broccoli, or make a pan of perfectly roasted cauliflower, and you’ll have a filling dinner!

• Pure comfort food. Two words: cream sauce. Add it to al dente pasta and bites of seasoned chicken, and you’ll wish you’d made a double batch.
• Easily gluten-free. Use gluten free pasta to make this dish gluten free! All of the other ingredients included are naturally gluten free, so you only need that one simple swap, making it ideal to serve to everyone at the table.
• A great last-minute choice. Inviting friends to dinner on the spur of the moment? Turn to parmesan chicken pasta! It’s quick enough to make, so you can be spontaneous while still feeling like you made something out of the ordinary.

What You’ll Need

I love Jovial brand gluten-free pasta because it keeps its shape well after being cooked, which is a bonus. If you don’t need to keep gluten-free, you can use regular wheat pasta. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

• Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Olive Oil: You can use any type of olive oil you prefer.
• Seasonings: Italian seasoning (try a mix of dried basil and oregano if you don’t have Italian seasoning), paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper.
• Pasta: I like gluten free rotini or fusilli pasta best here.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine, though I mostly use unsalted.
• Garlic
• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese for the best texture.
• Heavy Cream: See my notes lower down on how to lighten up this dish a bit if you wish.
• Parmesan Cheese

How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Follow along with the photos below to get an idea of how to make this recipe. I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

• Make the pasta. Cook the gluten free pasta until al dente then set aside.
• Mix the seasonings. In a bowl, whisk together the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper.

• Prep chicken. Pound the chicken breasts and brush them with olive oil.
• Add seasoning mix. Then coat the chicken in the seasoning mix you prepared.

• Cook the chicken. First, sear the chicken in olive oil for 4-6 minutes on each side, then cover the pan and cook it until it reaches an internal temperature of 65°F internally.
• Melt butter. In the same pan, melt in the butter and cook the garlic for a few minutes.

• Add cream cheese. Place the cream cheese in the pan and let it melt a little bit.
• Press the cheese. Using the back of a wooden spoon, press the cream cheese flat to warm it up and smooth it out.

• Pour in cream. Whisk in the heavy cream slowly until the sauce is smooth.
• Season. As the sauce simmers, whisk in the onion powder, salt, and pepper.

• Finish with cheese. Stir in the parmesan and keep stirring until it’s melted.
• Assemble. Return the pasta and chicken to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce.

Tips and Variation Ideas

• Make it your own! You can easily add your own spin to this dish by adding fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, baby spinach, frozen peas, broccoli, or mushrooms!
• Lighten it up. The sauce is rich because we use heavy cream, but you can also use milk or half and half instead to lighten it up.
• Undercook the pasta. This is important—don’t cook the pasta too long! It should be just al dente because it will soak up some of the cream sauce and you don’t want it to be soggy. Undercooking the pasta slightly will also help it to not fall apart when reheating it later.
• Try shrimp. If you’re not a fan of chicken, you can use the seasoning blend on shrimp (you may not need all of the seasoning) and pan-frying the shrimp it until it’s tender and pink. Follow the rest of the directions for the sauce, and enjoy!
• Use the right pasta. Use pasta like (gluten-free) rotini or fusilli because the spirals in these two pasta shapes make them perfect for holding the scrumptious sauce. If you wish to use another shape, try another pasta that holds sauce well, like penne.
• Grate your cheese. I always recommend using freshly grated parmesan. The starches in packaged parmesan don’t melt very well, which can sometimes lead to a separated sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

I don’t recommend freezing this dish because the texture of both the pasta and the cream sauce will change when defrosted, and it won’t be as good! But you can certainly save leftovers for a few days in the fridge:

• Fridge – Place cooled leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To Reheat – When reheating, avoid any separation of the sauce by warming the chicken and sauce in a pan or pot over low heat with a splash of milk. Stir occasionally until warmed through.

Make It a Meal

A rich main pasta dish needs a side or two of vegetables, a simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette, or a plate of sliced heirloom tomatoes in season, dressed with salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil. A few more ideas include:

• Easy vegetables. Choose from lemon green beans with mushrooms, crisp-tender air fryer cauliflower, or parmesan roasted broccoli to go with servings of chicken pasta.
• Salad. For a big dose of fresh veggies, save some of that chicken to add to a big Italian Chopped Salad. Or try an Italian Wedge Salad for extra crunch.
• Richer sides. Creamed spinach and whipped cauliflower are also nice alongside this pasta.
• Rolls. Make garlic parmesan chicken pasta for a celebratory dinner or holiday, and add a side of deliciously chewy Gluten Free Focaccia to take it up a notch. Or double the garlicky goodness with Gluten Free Garlic Knots.

More Chicken Pasta Recipes

• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Pumpkin Penne with Cream Sauce
• Chicken Orzo Soup