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. 😩
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.
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’ve been making my version of chicken fettuccine for decades because it was “the best” (by me lol). But this is the version I’ll be making from now because it really is the best! Thanks Nagi and Dozer.
Best pasta I’ve made, thanks!
Woo hoo!! that’s fantastic Paul!! N x
Another fantastic recipe that kept everyone happy – including the kiddies. Thank you Nagi – you NEVER disappoint!
Woo hoo!! I am happy you liked it Paula!! N x
Lovely, thank you!
Hi Nagi and Dozer, another super recipe thank you, Really tasty, would certainly make that again.
I am happy you liked it Steve!! N x
Hi Nagi, I’m excited to cook this recipe but I don’t know how much (in g or lbs) 2 chicken breasts is. Could you give an approximate amount?
Hi Aria – they vary a bit, but the average medium chicken breast is about 6 oz or 175 grams! N x
Thanks! For some reason, the chicken breasts i but are more than twice that size!
Another great success for the whole family—from 4 to 44 year-old! Thanks a lot Nagi for saving/making my evenings 😉
Dynamite! Yet another perfect recipe. Made (and eaten!) exactly as prescribed.
How does this one go in the freezer Nagi? Can it be frozen?
Hi Nagi
We want to make this using vac packed sundries tomatoes
but Coles & Woolies don’t have them.
Where did you buy them from?
I have found them at Coles, Woolies and Harris farm! N x
We just made this for tonight, and it is delicious! Thank you for our Friday night meal! You always have great recipes!
We love the Chicken Pasta with sun dried tomatoes, spinach & white wine. So delicious!
So yummy! I made mine with left over shredded chicken I made in the slow cooker, used frozen spinach I put in at the end of the pasta cooking and used penne as its all I had. Loved by everyone – even the 20 month old toddler.
beautiful as all your recipes are … Thanks Nagi 🙂
Birth of another family staple! My 4-people-family including 3 and 5-year-old kids finished it made with 350g linguini. (I have to confess that I omitted Spinach ‘coz of the kids, but it must be even better with.)
Thanks a lot Nagi. You are saving the families around the globe.
– working mom surviving the evenings with recipetineats, from Switzerland
I’m so happy I could help!! N x
WOW! Super delicious meal and I made it in less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
So good! I just finished eating it for dinner and am already looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Honestly is there anything on this website that isn’t amazing?!