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:
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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.
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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.
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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
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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. 😩
Yum!!! One of my faves!! Kids love it too!! Only downside is it’s so good we don’t leave any leftovers!! 😂
Wahoo, that’s great Joanne!!
Just made this for dinner tonight, great recipe and even better taste! Even the hubby liked it.
oh yum Nagi!
I just made this recipe! Totally love it. My husband love it too. Thanks so much
Perfect Maylen!!
Wow this really is the pasta of our dreams. Sooo delicious. Leftovers tasted even better! Thank you Nagi x
WOOT!!
This is so delicious! You have great food recipes.
Thanks so much Mel!
So good. i made this tonight and added mushrooms to the recipe. Yum yum.
Great idea Christie, I love mushrooms!
Great recipe. It makes so much that we have 2or 3 meals out of it. And so tasty. Is your nutrition advice for the whole quantity or per serving. I’m on a strict diet.
Hi Lynne, the nutrition is per serving – N x
My 14y.o. Granddaughter will be spending next week with us grandparents, and I have to raid ‘my’ ahem, recipes for something she will like – this one is on my list!
Love to know how it goes Mimi!
Going to make this in Monday, sounds delicious. Can’t wait
Great recipe, easy to cook and just like a restaurant cooked dish wow, am I a chef… mmm no…. I have good contacts … Thankx Nagi and Dozer this is a keeper and sharer…. … is that a word-who cares!! Better go clean up now haha 😂
I’m so glad you loved it Leya, thanks so much!
I just made this for my family, including my in laws and 2 kids. Everyone said it’s the best pasta they’ve ever had and I totally agree! It was absolutely delicious. I’ll be making this a regular dish!
Did you increase the quantity? I’ve been trying to work out how to get it to feed 5/6
Wahoo, that’s so great Yasmin!
This is truly a great chicken pasta. My husband loved it and he is not a big fan of pasta.
Thanks Nagi.
Woah that’s a great compliment, thanks so much Maureen!
Can’t wait to try this
I know you’ll love it Kellie!
This really is the stuff of dreams, I made this dish over the long weekend and inhaled it so quick I struggled to get up from the table. I added a big bowl of spinach salad on the side to offset the guilt factor….!
😂 I love this Georgie!!
Could you make this using a rotisserie chicken?
You sure could!, just skip the first set of cooking the chicken!
I made this yesterday for dinner i substitute spaghetti sqaush trying to lower my carb intake! So yummy 😋
Great idea Darlene!
Absolutely delicious recipe! I imagine it would be every bit as good with shrimp.
Definitely Kathy!
Cooked this dish twice now, and it’s the most delicious pasta I’ve ever had!!
Awesome Brooke, I’m so happy you love it – N x
Can you substitute Parmesan with Mozzarella as im going to try this tonight and have no Parmesan Thanks
Hi Eddie, It won’t quite work as well unfortunately as mozzarella is very stringy and isn’t as flavourful as parmesan. Do you have any Tasty/Cheddar cheese available?