Meet the chicken pasta recipe of your dreams! Creamy Chicken Alfredo with sun dried tomato, spinach and bacon, you’ll love how the seasoned shredded chicken acts like a mop for the alfredo sauce. A quick 20 minute dinner!
Chicken Pasta recipe – loaded!
This is the pasta you make when you’ve had a bad day and you need a pick me up.
This is the pasta you make when you’ve had a great day, and want to finish on a high note.
This is the pasta you make when you need a quick dinner that everyone will devour.
And this is the pasta that you make just because there are few things in this world that can rival the feeling of complete and utter satisfaction as you slurp down a big bowl of creamy chicken pasta!
What you need
Here’s what you need. Just a quick note on a few of the items:
Wine – the secret ingredient! Wine gives the sauce that extra little something-something that gives the creamy Alfredo Sauce a restauaranty edge. If we’re going to make a luxe creamy pasta, let’s do it right! Non alcoholic sub – more chicken broth.
Parmesan – make sure it’s either freshly grated OR use the store bought finely shredded parmesan that looks like small thin batons. Do not use the store bought sand-like parmesan, it doesn’t melt properly in the sauce.
Sun Dried Tomato – you can skip this if you want, but it does give this pasta recipe an extra little za-za-zoom! I use the healthy no-oil strips, but you can absolutely use the type sold in jars in oil.
You’ll love how the seasoned shredded chicken acts like a mop for the creamy alfredo sauce!
Shredding the chicken is not something I’ve done for pastas I’ve previously shared. It works really well for this chicken pasta because the creamy sauce kind of clings to the chicken, making the overall eating experience even juicier and more slurp-worthy (if that were possible! 😂).
Quick 20 minute chicken dinner
This is terrifically quick and easy to make with a nice flow to it. Cook the chicken while the pasta cooking water comes to the boil. Then make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
You’ll have dinner on the table in 20 minutes, and plates mopped clean minutes thereafter. How good is that??! ~ Nagi x
PS If you’re worried that this is a bit more indulgent that your usual midweek pasta, don’t let that stop you. It’s totally worth it – and you can eat air for dinner tomorrow 😉
More creamy pasta recipes
Fettuccine Alfredo – classic fettuccine with Alfredo sauce
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Pasta recipe of your dreams!
Ingredients
- 300g / 10 oz fettuccine (Note 1)
- 30g / 2 tbsp butter , separated
- 2 chicken breasts , cut in half horizontally
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine (sub more chicken broth)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock / broth , low sodium
- 1 1/4 cups (315ml) cream , thickened / heavy (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup (75g) parmesan , finely shredded (Note 3)
- 70g / 2.5oz baby spinach
- 100 g / 3oz sun dried tomato strips (Note 4)
Serving:
- 120g / 4oz bacon , cooked and crumbled
- More parmesan
- Parsley , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for time per packet minus 1 1/2 minutes.
- Just before draining, scoop out a mugful of pasta cooking water. Then drain pasta.
Chicken:
- Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
- Melt half the butter in a large skillet over hig heat.
- Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes on each side until deep golden.
- Remove chicken onto plate, rest for a few minutes then shred with 2 forks.
Alfredo Sauce:
- Turn down heat to medium high. In the same skillet, add remaining butter and garlic.
- Cook garlic for 30 seconds until golden, then add wine.
- Simmer rapidly, stirring to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Once mostly evaporated, add chicken broth, cream, parmesan and sun dried tomato.
- Simmer on medium for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring leisurely, until it reduces and thickens.
Essential Tossing:
- Add spinach, chicken and cooked pasta.
- Toss for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes on the stove, until sauce thickens and coats the pasta strands (see VIDEO). Use pasta cooking water if needed if it gets too thick.
- Serve immediately with parmesan, crumbled bacon and parsley (if desired).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Another weekend of fun at Rick Stein’s Bannisters in Port Stephens! The RecipeTin Family took our mother up for a belated Mother’s Day weekend away. This photo was taken from outside her room – top floor, stunning views, huge sunny terrace and an extra large room.
In fact, everyone stayed up in the “good” rooms while I was relegated to the a ground floor room for easy pooping access to the lawn for Dozer. 😩
Hi, you my go to for any recipe. Need to prepare food for 80 people. Will the tuscan chicken (without pasta) freeze well?
It was nice to go through your post. Thanks for sharing the recipe here. Keep up the good work.
Hello, delicious recipe. I feel like my sauce wasn’t very smooth. Like it broken. What did I do wrong? Otherwise very yummy.
Just made for the first time. Very good. I think it would be good with shrimp too. I will make it again ☺️. I do have a question though, what was I supposed to do with the mug apostle of water?
It was only in case the sauce got too thick
Could I use creme fraiche in this instead? I’ve got some I need to use up
Hello,
Could dry sherry be substituted for the wine?
(if so, same portions?)
Absolutely delicious!!!!
This was really good! I didn’t had some left over prosciutto so used that instead of bacon. Yummy! Great recipe. Will make again!
Another successful and very tasty meal. I left out spinach because I just completely forgot but this was incredible!
I hoped this would convert my children to become creamy pasta lovers. Unfortunately I didn’t manage that, but my husband and I inhaled it, and because the kids didn’t eat much, we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow = winning. Thanks for another great recipe.
Can anyone tell me the best wine to use with this recipe? They always say use one you would drink, but I’m not a big wine drinker, so I’m just wondering which one to get.
Hi Nagi! I have been using your recipes to cook for my wee fam and my toddler has been enjoying it. Soon the baby will be onto it too (once he is ready of course!). Is there anyway i can sub cream for milk/yogurt/cottage cheese? I often dont have cream handy and also dont buy it much since i will use a bit and then completely forget about finishing it off (as i dont often cook with cream) and then it is wasted! But we always have milk, cottage cheese, greek yogurt handy!
Used left over chicken from roast chicken last night (your recipe, lovely, thanks) and it was great. Will definately be on my rota for what to do with left over chicken. So easy, so tasty. Thanks Nagi!
Love the photo of you and Dozer. Dozer is enjoying the view too!
can this dish be frozen – I see someone else asked but no reply
This was a hit ! Added It to my favorite cookbook! Will make again!
This was delicious! Even my hard to please 14 year old said “Better than restaurant quality!”
Would this work with gluten-free pasta? tia.
Wondering if this could me made with a cheese other than parmesan … I cannot get cheeses of that odour past me nose…
Will fresh pasta work for this recipe?
Yes it will Bec – be careful not to overcook it! N x
This was my first attempt at one of your recipes and it was a complete fail for me. Cooking time needed to be about 30 minutes longer. Flavor we didn’t like.I think it’s the sun dried tomatoes, but I’m not giving up. Your reviews are crazy good.
Try 1/2 to 2/3 jar of roasted red bell pepper (chopped) I like it better. This is my favorite pasta dish:)
I am sorry that you didn’t enjoy this one Sue. It’s important when cooking my recipes that you read through and follow the details closely – things like pan size and the size you chop meat and veg definitely affect the cooking time and outcomes of recipes, as well as being very accurate with measurements. I hope you enjoy the next effort more!! N x
I totally agree with Sue Zan Thompson: this in NOT a “quick 20-minute dinner.” It took me at least twice as long to make, and I wasn’t dawdling.