Creamy Chicken and Herb Pasta

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 55 mins

Servings: 4

Creamy alfredo pasta used to be my go-to order when dining out but I quickly stopped requesting it at restaurants when I discovered how easy it is to recreate at home! Believe it or not, this cozy, comforting, and simple dish is even better than alfredo pasta thanks to the mouthwatering taste of the herbs, wine, and mustard. You can prep this dish in 15 minutes, and it’s ready to eat in under one hour all in one pot. Sign me up!

Browning the chicken, simmering the sauce, and then completing the chicken cooking process in the same skillet, results in a rich depth of flavor. This dish is perfectly balanced, with the acidity of the wine shining through, a gentle tang from the mustard, and a fresh note from an abundance of garlic and herbs. I love garlic so I get a little heavy handed on it and will add double the amount a recipe calls for. Garlic breath doesn’t scare me!

I recommend adding your favorite mushrooms in and any pasta shape your heart desires. Serve with a crisp, fresh salad or toasted garlic bread.

Recipe Tips

• Dry the chicken—Patting the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel removes excess moisture so they will brown more easily in the pan.
• Skip the wine—If you don't keep wine in your pantry, just substitute some extra chicken stock.

Ingredients

• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage), plus more parsley for garnish

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 12 ounces dry fettuccine pasta

• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Pat 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

   

3. Heat 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 3 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this point). Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

   

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot, 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.

   

5. Pour in 1/2 cup dry white wine, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to deglaze, until reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.

   

6. Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes.

   

7. Pour in 1 cup heavy whipping cream and stir in 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium.

   

8. Place chicken breasts back into the simmering cream mixture, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 160 F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part, about 8 minutes.

   

9. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook 12 ounces dry fettuccine pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.

   

10. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

    

11. Gradually stir 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan and the reserved 1/2 cup pasta water into the cream sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

    

12. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the skillet. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the pasta is evenly coated in sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.

    

13. Divide the pasta evenly among 4 bowls. Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on top of the pasta. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

    

How To Store:

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

• Make it with mushrooms—This dish would be delicious with mushrooms. Cook sliced mushrooms in the skillet after browning the chicken and before adding the shallots, garlic, and herbs. 
• Pasta options—You could use any shape of pasta desired instead of fettuccine.
• Dried herbs work, too—If you don't have fresh herbs around, feel free to substitute with 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs. Thyme, sage, and rosemary are especially nice in this dish. If using dried rosemary, crumble it up between your fingers.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	949
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g	57%
Saturated Fat 22g	108%
Cholesterol 198mg	66%
Sodium 1052mg	46%
Total Carbohydrate 73g	27%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 56g
Vitamin C 2mg	10%
Calcium 215mg	17%
Iron 5mg	26%
Potassium 719mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.