This simple pasta dish is comforting and full of golden caramelized onions, garlic and shredded chicken tossed in a light sauce and finished with some parmesan. Its perfect for anything from a mid week dinner to a weekend lunch and as cooler weather approaches, soon we will all be in need of a fabulous bowl of pasta.
Let’s get started…
Begin by preparing your chicken. Today, I am pan searing 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast seasoned generously with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper in some olive oil. Although this only takes about 10 minutes, you can also use a rotisserie chicken making things ready even quicker.
While the chicken is cooking, gather 1 large diced white onion, 4 finely minced cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 2/3 cup of chicken stock, 2/3 cup of whole milk, 1/2 cup of finely shredded parmesan and 8 -12 ounces of thin spaghetti (8 ounces for 4 regular portions or 12 ounces for 4 hearty portions).
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a large pinch of salt and cook your pasta according to the manufacturers instructions.
If you just pan seared your chicken, transfer it onto a plate and set it aside for now. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, place a large skillet over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Add the diced white onion into the skillet and start caramelizing them.
Caramelized onions are so good. Onions cooked for a long time over low heat until their natural sweetness has been developed to perfection. If you want to read some tips and tricks for caramelizing onions perfectly, check out my recipe here, but for this dish, you can cook the onions for anywhere between 7-25 minutes, depending on how much flavor you want developed and how much quickly you need dinner ready.
Keep an eye on the onions as they cook, stir them occasionally and reduce the heat slightly if they start getting too dark too quickly. If you are caramelizing them for a long time, add a splash of chicken stock after about 10 minutes and then again once all of the stock has been absorbed.
Once the onions are caramelized, season them with a pinch of salt and black pepper and add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour in with the onions. As soon as the butter has melted, stir and cook for about 60 seconds combining the butter and flour in with the onions.
Add 2/3 cup of chicken stock and 2/3 cup of whole milk and bring the mixture to a simmer.
While the sauce is coming to a simmer, shred your chicken and about 1/2 cup of parmesan… or more, depending on how much you love parm. In addition to the parmesan I add into the pasta, I also sprinkle a little on top before serving along with some fresh parsley and black pepper.
To bring everything together, transfer the cooked pasta into the skillet and toss it in the sauce along with the caramelized onion and garlic. Add the chicken and 1/2 cup of finely shredded parmesan and toss to evenly distribute.
Once everything is combined, do a quick taste test and add more parmesan, if necessary (of course it’s necessary) and some finely chopped fresh parsley and a big pinch of freshly cracked black pepper.
Add a hearty helping of this comforting pasta into a nice big bowl and add a little more parm over the bowl. This dish is wonderful… the sauce is light, but flavorful and the combination of the caramelized onions, garlic, shredded chicken, salty parmesan and spicy black pepper comes together in a delicious way.
If you have any leftovers, this pasta reheats really nicely by placing the skillet over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of butter and a splash of milk. Cover the skillet and let the pasta reheat slowly.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful pasta dish. Add lots of parm and maybe some garlic bread on the side…
Buon Appetito!
Caramelized Onion, Garlic & Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
- garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 8-12 ounces of dried thin spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup of chicken stock
- 2/3 cup of whole milk
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, finely shredded
- parmesan, finely shredded (garnish)
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (garnish)
- freshly cracked black pepper (garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water up to a rolling boil, add a large pinch of salt and cook your pasta according to the manufacturers instructions
- Generously season 1 boneless skinless chicken breast with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the chicken until both sides are brown and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees
- Transfer the chicken onto a plate and set it aside for now, alternatively, you can use a rotisserie chicken for this dish
- Add 1 large diced white onion into the skillet over medium heat and cook until golden brown and caramelized
- As soon as the onions are softened and golden brown, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper and add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- As the butter melts, cook while stirring for about 60 seconds
- Add 2/3 cup of chicken stock and 2/3 cup of whole milk and bring the mixture to a simmer
- While the sauce comes to a simmer, shred your chicken
- Once the sauce thickens a bit, add the cooked pasta, shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of finely shredded parmesan, some black pepper and parsley and toss to combine
- Serve garnished with additional parmesan and enjoy!!
