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 I love your recipes I made this one using coconut cream instead of cream as my wife can’t have dairy. and it tasted out of this world. I also added mushrooms and a bit of chilli she said it was better than anything she had tasted in a restaurant. Thanks again.
This was delicious and very easy! I have to say that I have never “shredded” chicken before but it seemed to work ok. Can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers too! Thanks for a great recipe, Nagi! I bet Dozer gives it 5 woofs too.
Just loved this recipe.
That was the longest 20 minutes of my life, definitely not a quick dinner
I suggest then you order take away if 20 min was too long
Hi Naj – I consider 20 minutes a fairly quick time to make a meal – I’m sure this one was worth the wait for you though 😉 N x
Yes it was amazing but it took me like an hour with prep, thank u for the recipe though
This was superb! The sauce is fantastic. I’ve made this several times. Tonight I made it with shrimp instead of chicken and added some portobello mushrooms. Just delicious any which way you make it. Thanks for ANOTHER wonderful recipe that makes me look like an awesome chef. So much appreciated.
FIVE STARS SAY’S IT ALL.
So delicious!! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Another winner! And now a favourite. Thanks much!
Making this again (every few weeks since I discovered it). Easy, quick and so delicious that I feel like I went out for dinner. Whole family eats it and I always make extra so I can take it to work for my night shift the next day. Reheats well.
This ticked all the boxes for me! Flavour plus!! My third recipe from Recipetineats and third success. Thanks Nagi, you’ve got me cooking again.
I ALWAYS HAVE CAN MILK BUT NOT ALWAYS HEAVY CREAM OR BUTTERMILK. CAN I SUB OR WILL IT ADD TO MUCH TASTE?
Hi Mary – do you mean evaporated milk? That will work fine here 🙂 N x
That looks really delicious ! Will try it out sometime. What can I use instead of the wine ? More broth ?
This is the third recipe ive tried on your website. Like the others it was absolutely delicious! You are now my go to person to find quick and easy and tasty recipes .
Made this recipe this week, and loved it! Definitely added to my list of favourites.
Thanks for an amazing blog with delicious recipes…and updates of Dozer!
Made this tonight but used leftover rotisserie chicken. Added in chili flakes, pinch of nutmeg, roasted garlic (this was in addition to the fresh garlic), fresh thyme and sautéed cremini mushrooms. Was a good base recipe and family is already requesting it again.
Awwwesome. Keeper for sure.
Oooooh thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. Husband loved it and so did extremely fussy teenage daughter, who incidentally said it was better than restaurant.
Can you use regular tomatoes instead of sun Dried ?
Hi Debby, not for this one sorry – you really need the strong flavour of the sun dried tomatoes here. N x
Love your page
Thanks so much Louise!! N x
Cooked this for dinner tonite and it was so bloody nice . It’s a keeper