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 Nagi!
Great recipe as always! Can I substitute 2% milk for the cream?
I like a lot of sauce in my pasta, should I double the recipe for the sauce ?
This was delicious! Everyone loved and Mr fussy even had seconds! I love all your recipes haven’t meet one that wasn’t delicious!
Had a friend over for dinner and I made this wonderful dish for dinner. It was a big hit. I did leave out the bacon and as much as I love bacon I think it was the right thing to do for this. I wouldn’t have wanted the assertiveness that bacon would have added to it. Another great recipe.
Thanks! N x
Cooked this for our family dinner. Everyone loved it! Used semi dried tomatoes and it did up the flavour to a different level. Thanks Nagi! I am a fan. 🙂
Can you give me an example of a dry white wine you used in this recipe? Would that be like Chardonnay?
Hi Summer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay or Sauv Blanc would be my recommendations 🙂 N x
Nagi, I can’t thank you enough! One year of following your recipes & now everyone thinks I’m a master chef. You taught me how to cook! My husband has fallen in love with me all over again. You’ve elevated my life. Thank you!!!
Whipped this up tonight, sans wine and tomato’s and parmesan (I know what you’re thinking, why bother haha). But it was delicious. And super quick and easy. I included the bacon in with everything rather than as a garnish. I can only imagine how good it will be when I use all of the ingredients!
My hungry boys loved this recipe!! A huge hit in my house!!
This was definitely the pasta of my dreams! The bacon crumbled on top really made it for me. I cooked the bacon in the pan and used a little of the fat for the rest of the recipe. Hubby loved it too! I adjusted for 2 servings but won’t next time as I bet leftovers would have been gorgeous too. Another keeper, thanks Nagi 😋
I made this recipe 2 days ago and I’m wondering if it’s too soon to make it again! I absolutely love it. My husband loved it. I will probably make it every few weeks because even the leftovers were out of this world. Thank you!!!!!
So delicious. Even the picky eater loved it!!
Hi Nagi,
Does this meal freeze well?
Can I sub the sun dried tomato with cherry tomatoes?
Yes, if you like! You’ll get a slightly different result – the sauce will be a little tomoatey – but still delicious! – Nxx
My daughter requested creamy pasta and I made this – it was SO good! Thank you for another great recipe! By the way I only could find 18% cream and we loved it so I’m sure it’s just that much better with 35%.
When your recipes call for cream, like this one, is that 18% table cream or 35% whipping cream? Thanks, I really enjoy your recipes!
Hi Ash, I use thickened cream which had a 35% fat ratio 🙂 N x
Total success!!! So delicious!!! Thank you!!!
This is one of ours favourite dishes in our house. Made it many times now and every time empty plates. Delicious
Hi Nagi,
My husband only cooks BBQ’s however he made this pasta dish tonight and it was superb. My husband was impressed how easily your recipe was to follow. Hopefully he will continue to try more of your delicious recipes.
Made this again tonight- resounding success! Absolutely divine! I love this recipe 😍😍