There are few dishes that are as comforting as a creamy bowl of pasta. Whether you are enjoying a big bowl of macaroni and cheese or plate piled with ribbons of fettuccini alfredo, a bowl full of warm, creamy noodles just cures what ails you. Then when you add a golden brown piece of crispy, flavorful chicken next to it… comfort has commenced.
This is definitely one of my all time favorite meals. It doesn’t take too long to bring together, the ingredients required are simple and the flavors are out of this world. And if you are really looking to carb it up, I bring some of my no-knead skillet focaccia to the table and use it to clean my plate. No sauce should be left behind.
Let’s get started…
Begin by finely mincing 5 cloves of garlic, finely shredding 2/3 cup of parmesan or parmigiano reggiano and gathering 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, some salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if you like a little bit of heat in your cream sauce.
In addition to the sauce ingredients, you will need 10 ounces of pasta (I highly recommend some curly cavatappi), 2 chicken breasts, a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of panko and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.
Slice your boneless skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally, so you have four thinly sliced portions of chicken. Season each portion with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Whisk 1 egg in a wide shallow bowl and combine 1/2 cup of panko and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan in a separate bowl. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper into each bowl.
Dip the seasoned chicken into the egg and allow any excess to drip off. Transfer the egg dipped chicken into the panko and parmesan mixture and press to ensure the entire surface is well coated.
Add 3 tablespoons of butter into a large skillet over medium heat and once it has melted, place the coated chicken into the skillet. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on the first side and once the underside is crispy and golden brown, flip the chicken over. As soon as you flip the chicken, sprinkle a little salt and some dried parsley flakes over the crispy crust while it is still hot.
Once the chicken is golden brown and crispy on both sides and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees, transfer it onto a paper towel lined plate and set aside for now.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 10 ounces of your favorite pasta according to the manufacturers instructions.
In the skillet you browned the chicken in, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and 5 cloves of finely minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 60 seconds and once the garlic is fragrant, add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream.
Bring the cream to a simmer and season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and some crushed red pepper flakes.
As soon as the cream begins to thicken slightly, add 2/3 cup of finely shredded parmesan or parmigiano reggiano and whisk to combine. Reduce the heat to low.
Once the pasta is cooked, use a large slotted spoon or spider strainer to transfer the pasta directly into the cream sauce. Toss to combine and remove the skillet from the heat.
To plate this meal up, add some of your fabulous parmesan garlic cream pasta onto a plate, slice up a crispy chicken breast and place it next to the pasta and add some tender baby arugula and get ready to fall deeply in love with your first bite…
As if things aren’t delicious enough already, garnish the entire plate with a little more finely shredded parmesan and some finely chopped parsley and if you made that focaccia (or any other bread for that matter), cut yourself a slice and find somewhere cozy to sit, because its dinner time.
Take a look at that plate! So comforting and indulgent. The pasta is flavorful and super creamy, the chicken is crispy and well seasoned and the arugula adds a fresh, peppery green element that nicely balances out the plate.
This parmesan garlic cream pasta with crispy chicken is simple to bring together and the perfect comfort meal to cozy up on the couch with or to serve to friends at a dinner party or game… very lucky friends. This meal is one of my favorites and I am quite confident that if you whip this up, it will becomes yours too.
Buon appetito!
Parmesan Garlic Cream Pasta with Crispy Chicken
Ingredients
- 10 ounces of cavatappi (or similar dried pasta)
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 2/3 cup of fresh parmesan or parmigiano reggiano, finely shredded
- a pinch of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder and dried parsley flakes
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, grated
- additional parmesan or parmigiano reggiano (optional garnish)
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional garnish)
- baby arugula (optional pairing)
Instructions
- Cut both chicken breasts in half horizontally and season both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
- Whisk 1 egg in a shallow bowl and combine 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan in a separate shallow bowl
- Dip each portion of chicken in the egg and then into the panko mixture, ensuring the entire surface is well coated and then set aside for now
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter into a large skillet over medium heat and once it has melted, place the chicken into the skillet
- Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on the first side and once the underside is golden brown and crispy, flip the chicken over and cook until both sides are crispy and the chicken it cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to manufacturers instructions
- Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate and set aside for now
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the skillet you browned the chicken in
- As soon as the butter has melted, add the finely minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 60 seconds
- Add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and bring to a simmer
- Once the cream begins to thicken slightly, add a small pinch of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (optional) and whisk to combine
- Sprinkle 2/3 cup of finely shredded parmesan or parmigiano reggiano over the cream and whisk to combine
- Reduce the heat to low
- As soon as the pasta is cooked, transfer it directly into the cream and toss to combine
- Add a few tablespoons of pasta water into the skillet to loosen the sauce, only if necessary
- Plate some pasta, the crispy chicken and some baby arugula up and garnish with finely shredded parmesan and finely chopped parsley
- Enjoy
