Although rich and creamy Alfredo sauce is a popular sauce for pasta in the U.S., it’s not something you see a lot in Italy. In the 15tn century in Italy, cooks started serving pasta with sauces made from butter and cheese, but Alfredo sauce is a more modern invention.
This decadent sauce was invented by (of course) a man who was called Alfredo di Lelio. Alfredo made the first Fettuccini Alfredo in 1892. His mother ran a restaurant, and he came up with his signature dish to coax his wife to eat after she gave birth to her first baby.
There’s nothing like chicken alfredo pasta with some parmesan and garlic bread to soothe the soul and this chicken fettuccine recipe really delivers.
You don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant to get the creamy chicken alfredo recipe because you can make the exact same version right in the comfort of your own home.
Chicken fettuccini alfredo is a classic Italian-American dish that brings together the comforting taste of alfredo sauce and perfectly cooked pasta with tender, juicy chicken. It has become a favorite comfort food for many families, making it a popular choice for gatherings or a cozy night at home. The rich, creamy alfredo sauce, made from Parmesan cheese, butter, and heavy cream, pairs elegantly with the soft, silky texture of fettuccine noodles, creating a delightful culinary experience.
The dish is quite versatile, allowing for a variety of adaptations to cater to different tastes or dietary requirements. For those seeking a healthier version, substitutes like low-fat cream and whole wheat pasta can be used. Chicken fettuccini alfredo can be enjoyed as a main course, or as a flavorful side dish to complement other Italian-inspired cuisine. Additionally, it lends itself well as a foundation for incorporating other ingredients such as vegetables or seafood, further expanding the possibilities for this beloved dish.
Preparing chicken fettuccini alfredo from scratch involves a few simple steps: cooking the pasta, preparing the chicken, and making the alfredo sauce. While it is possible to use store-bought alfredo sauce, creating a homemade sauce allows for a more personal touch and the ability to finely adjust the flavors to your preference. Regardless of the specific recipe followed, the result is a delectable meal that aims to please even the pickiest palates.
The truth is, fettuccine alfredo with chicken is extremely easy to make so you don’t even need to slave away in the kitchen all afternoon just to get a delicious meal on the table.
You’ll have a 5-star fettuccine chicken alfredo ready to go and the entire family will wonder when you have time to take cooking lessons.
But you’ll know that this recipe for chicken alfredo fettuccine is all you need to get high-quality food right at home.
Ingredients for Fettucini Alfredo Chicken:
This chicken recipe is fairly easy and doesn’t take a lot of ingredients.
Use chicken breast and cut it into smaller pieces to add some protein. You could also use chicken tenders and they work well but the breast gives you the option to make the pieces as big or small as you want.
fettuccini is going to be your go-to choice for pasta because that’s what it’s been served with for generations. That doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up if you have something different. Some spaghetti or even angel hair pasta will go just as well.
If you have some milk in the fridge along with some heavy whipping cream you can actually get the same effect and taste. Just substitute the half and half with equal parts milk and heavy whipping cream.
The different percentages of milk like 1% and 2% will have a slight effect on the texture you end up getting. The less fat the milk has the harder it will be to get a thick and creamy sauce going.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo Fettuccini:
You’ll start by getting a large pot of water and heating it on medium-high heat. You’ll want to put a generous pinch of salt into the pot before adding your pasta. Let the water start to boil and then add in your pasta.
Once your pasta is soft you will drain all the water using a colander and put the pasta into your sauce bowl. For now, move on to the other steps while the pasta cooks.
Slice your chicken breast into the exact size pieces you normally like in your chicken fettuccini alfredo and then throw some salt and pepper on all sides of the meat. Get a large skillet out that will fit your chicken and all other ingredients, then put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in and set it to medium-high heat. Toss all the chicken in and saute it until it gets to a gold brown color on the outside and is fully cooked through. Remove your chicken and put it in a separate pan and cover it for now. You will be adding it back to the dish when you are finished.
You can always use an instant pot to make the cooking time less. To get even more flavor, try some grilled chicken.
In the same skillet, add one tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Toss in your onions and saute them till they become slightly translucent. Dump your mushrooms and cool everything for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Throw in the garlic as the last ingredient and keep cooking for another minute.
Now, throw in your half and half and let everything cook together for another 8-10 minutes. You want all the ingredients to soak so they start to absorb the flavors of each other.
Once the sauce starts to thicken slightly you can throw the chicken back into the pan with the sauce. add about 1/4 cup of parsley and then add in any salt and pepper, to taste. You want to mix everything together so that when you taste it you can get a better idea of the flavor of the entire dish.
Lower the heat on your skillet and then go ahead and drain your pasta water as mentioned in the previous step. Dump your cooked pasta, with no water, into your skillet and mix everything up thoroughly. Wait till everything is mixed and warm and then turn off your stove.
Let your pasta rest for about 5 minutes while covered and then it’s ready to serve! Bust out your bowls or your plates and start scooping delicious spoonfuls of chicken alfredo with fettuccine onto people’s dinnerware.
You can even garnish it all with a little more parsley to get the best aesthetic possible.
If you really want to make this dish stand out then you’ll add some toasty garlic bread on the side. Everyone will be using it to soak up that delicious homemade alfredo sauce you whipped up in no time.
What Goes Well with Chicken Fettuccini?
When it comes to sides for the chicken alfredo there are several that seem to please the taste buds more than others. Here is a list of the best sides to have with your creamy and delicious Italian dish.
Roasted Broccolini – Regular broccoli can be a little thick and overwhelming with bitter taste. That’s where broccolini comes in to save the day. It has the same great taste and texture except it’s a miniature version so the other parts of the dish are allowed to shine. Stick some of this in your alfredo for a winning combination.
Garlic Bread – You’ll hear it a million times and it never gets old but what goes well with chicken fettucini? Garlic bread of course but you could probably say that about most Italian dishes. Nothing is better than your spoon soaking up all those flavors and adding something just as good to bite down on.
Caesar Salad – The classic Italian side is best served alongside a dish that is creamy and has a lot of sauce. The bitterness from the salad will help to cleanse your palate after every bite of the pasta while the crunchiness provides a great contrast. Make your own caesar dressing if you really want this side to stand out.
Macaroni and Cheese – This side is for all those people who want to indulge a little bit more. The cheesy goodness of macaroni and cheese is great when paired with chicken fettuccini and will leave you feeling more than satisfied.
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Our BEST Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
This one will take you back to when you were a kid. Serve it up with some garlic bread and say goodnight because this recipe will fill your belly till it's time for bed.
Boil a large pot with 4 qts of water and throw in 1 tbsp of salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
While water is boiling, slice your chicken breast into the exact size you want for your final meal. Heat skillet with 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté chicken until it is golden brown on all sides and cooked all the way through. Remove your chicken and put it in a covered pan.
In the skillet, heat another 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Toss in your onions and cook them until they are slightly translucent, or about 3 minutes. Add in your mushrooms and cook another 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Stir the pan frequently. Add in your garlic and cook everything for an additional 30 seconds while still stirring the bottom of the skillet, making sure nothing burns.
Add in your half and half and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until your sauce starts to thicken slightly. Put your chicken back into the skillet with the sauce and then toss in 1/4cup of parsley. This is your time to add any salt or pepper to alter the flavor of the dish to your liking.
Drain the water from the cooked pasta and throw it into the skillet with the sauce and other ingredients. Stir everything thoroughly and let it rest for 5 minutes while covered. Stir one last time and then serve with garnished parsley and garlic bread on the side.
Alfredo sauce is made using a mix of butter and half and half. You’ll want to melt the butter and then add the half and half to the pan. In order to thicken it up, you can use some heavy cream instead of half and half. You’ll have a richer and thicker sauce in no time.
If you are already cooking and you are noticing your sauce much runnier then you’d like, you could throw in some more butter or parmesan cheese into the mixture. Parmesan cheese might be better because you can really control the amount you add.
Plus, who doesn’t love more cheese in their fettuccini alfredo?
What can you substitute for fettuccini?
Fettuccini isn’t the only pasta around and it definitely doesn’t have to be the star of your dish. You could easily swap it out for some spaghetti, linguine, or even angel hair pasta.
The results might not be exactly the same, but they’ll still be delicious nonetheless. The thinner pasta won’t exactly soak up the sauce as well as a thicker fettuccini will but it will be less pasta and more delicious ingredients.
Getting some different shaped pastas will also make it pretty fun like some macaroni or some rigatoni. The rigatoni will actually act as a sauce boat cause it can fill up and lead to an explosion of alfredo in your mouth.
If you’re looking for something with a little more substance then you could try using ziti noodles or cavatappi. They’ll both soak up the sauce and make for a heartier meal.
There really is no end to the types of combination you can have once you get used to this recipe. It’s great for the family or for guests who are coming over and few people will deny the creamy deliciousness.
If you’re looking to get rid of the carbs altogether having a nice zucchini alfredo pasta is definitely doable.
What other Italian sauces could you make?
The craziest and best part about Italian food is you can really use the same ingredients over and over again but with different sauces and it will be incredibly different.
Alfredo sauce is just one of the basics. You could also make a delicious and easy marinara sauce that is made from canned tomatoes, garlic, and basil. It’ll take less than 30 minutes and you can use it on any pasta you’d like.
If you’re feeling really frisky, you could try your hand at making a bolognese sauce. It’s a meaty and hearty sauce that is perfect for wintertime. It’ll take a little longer to cook, but it’ll be well worth the wait.
A puttanesca sauce can be perfect for a quick weeknight meal. It’s a tomato-based sauce that uses olives, anchovies, and capers. It might sound a little strange, but it’s definitely delicious.
Pesto is another Italian classic you could make. It’s incredibly easy if you have some kind of food processor because it mixes all the ingredients in no time.
You’ll have fresh, homemade pesto ready for a chicken dish or a salad anytime you want. Not to mention the smell will make you want to make it everyday.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
