This is how to make a One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta with al dente pasta and a silky creamy sauce. The secret? Simple. Add the cream and parmesan at the end to avoid gluggy sauce and unevenly cooked pasta. Watch the video and see how easy this is!
One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
This is not meant to be an authentic Italian pasta. It’s a quick mid-week meal that you can get on the table in just over 15 minutes and is stellar for effort vs output.
I don’t want to offend pasta-purists (or the entire nation of Italy for that matter!), and to be honest, I never thought I would ever share a (long-strand) one-pot-pasta recipe. I’ve previously declared on multiple occasions that I’m not a fan. I tried a couple of recipes, ended up with unevenly cooked pasta and a gluey sauce. Once it was so gluey that I was able to make fritters without using egg to bind them. 😳
So I gave up, and stuck to the classic way of making Alfredo. It wasn’t until a friend (who’s a huge fan of all things one pot) bluntly asked me “have you tried to fix it?” that it even occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, there was a better way to make a creamy long-strand pasta in one pot.
And so I experimented. And fixed it.
For fellow food nerds out there, here was my thinking: With the classic way of cooking pasta, the sauce and just-under-cooked pasta is tossed in the same pan with a splash of the pasta cooking water. What happens is that the oil in the sauce and starch in the pasta cooking water transforms into a glossy sauce that clings to every strand of pasta (it’s called emulsification). So when you serve it, there is no watery pool of sauce on the bottom of the bowl, it’s all in your mouth via the pasta!
If you dump cream with milk/broth/water into a large pot / skillet with the pasta, the reason you end up with a gluey rather than silky sauce at the end is because you’ve been emulsifying the sauce for the entire pasta cooking time (i.e. fat in cream, starch in pasta). Plus, the cream makes the cooking liquid thicker which makes the pasta cook unevenly.
Solution: Cook the pasta in just milk + chicken broth, add cream at the end.
End result: Near perfectly* cooked al dente pasta + silky sauce.
* I say “near perfect” because the fact is, pasta cooks more evenly in a large pot of boiling water than in a skillet with the sauce. Just being honest!
I was so paranoid about ensuring this One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta delivers on my promises, I made it four times last week to quadruple check that it works as I’m describing. I filmed it three times – once making a plain Alfredo, once using cubes of chicken and once searing whole chicken then slicing it.
I was contemplating sharing the version with bite size pieces of chicken that stays in the sauce while the pasta cooks. And that’s an even easier variation, but you’ll end up with slightly overcooked chicken with far less caramelisation. So I opted for my favourite way which is to sear chicken until golden brown, rest it for optimum juiciness before slicing and tossing through the pasta.
I know there are many people out there who are thinking “how hard is it to cook pasta in a separate pot??”. And sure, it sounds easy. But you know those crazy days when your household is in chaos and you’re trying to get dinner on the table for your family? When you’ve just had an awful day at work, you hate your boss, you’re tired and tempted to order a greasy pizza?
This is for those days. I know boiling a pot of water and cooking pasta isn’t a big deal. But when you can cook it all one pot, it’s just one less thing to think about, one less pot to wash.
And know this is easy – and it works as promised. Watch the video below! – Nagi xx
PS Just to clarify, I’ve always been a fan of one pot short pastas – risoni, penne/ziti, macaroni etc because the shape makes them easy to stir and cook evenly in a sauce. Like stove top Mac N Cheese, One Pot Vegetable Pasta, Cheeseburger Casserole and Chili Mac. And this Italian Chicken & Risoni/Orzo. Long strand pastas are where I always had an issue!
More ways to get your creamy pasta fix!
Baked Mac and Cheese – and try the Shrimp version!
Browse all pasta recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
One Pot Chicken Alfredo recipe video!
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One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g / 7oz chicken breast, cut in half horizontally
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g / 8 oz fettuccine
- 2 cups milk, any fat %
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock / broth
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup thickened / heavy cream (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (Note 2)
- Parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Use a skillet large enough to fit the pasta.
- Heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove onto plate and rest for 5 minutes, then slice while pasta is cooking.
- Add milk, chicken broth and garlic. Bring to simmer then add pasta.
- Move pasta around every 30 seconds or so until it is softened (around 3 minutes) so it doesn’t stick. Once pasta is softened, reduce heat to medium and stir every couple of minutes.
- At about 9 – 10 minutes, the pasta should be almost cooked but there should still be liquid covering the base of the skillet. Add cream and parmesan and mix.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for ~2 minutes, until sauce is thickened and pasta is cooked. If you cook it too long and the sauce goes gluggy, add a splash of hot tap water – will go back to silky with a few tosses.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated parmesan and parsley!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
It was one of those days when I just couldn’t deal with a soaking wet dog at the end of a long, tiring day. So I popped a rain jacket on him before taking him out to the dog park, intent on keeping him on the grassy area and out of the water.
Honestly, I don’t know why I bothered.
This looks delicious!
Thanks Maureen! I hope you and John are both keeping well?? N xx
Robert,I respect your opinion as well.Clearly you have not ever dealt with 3 children under the age of 5,as a displaced and divorced homemaker,that chose to work 5,yes 5 jobs;rather than take child support since the ex did not make much to begin with.THEN insist on ONLY home cooked meals,since fast food nor junk food nor convenience food were in my limited budget…That was me,30 years ago!lol!!Adore you Nagi!!You are a superb chef,and little does Robert know just how many awesome recipes of yours I have prepared!Always from scratch!Honestly,I think Dozer is secretly a nudist!Wanting to run around all “nakey “!!BAHAHA!?Thanks for fixing the 1 pot problem!!Had that happen,with the gluey mess.Not made a 1 pot pasta since!Yea!!Now I can!!❤️
Oooh, I’ll be definitely adding this to my grocery list this week to try out. Between the strawberry bars, the chocolate cream pie, and this, I feel like I’m in food heaven. 😀
Looks like Dozer must have heard about me planning on taking over his spot as taste tester and is staging a peaceful protest – notice in the first picture of him he’s mouthing the word, ‘Nooooooooo!’ lol.
BA HA HA!!! I literally burst out laughing when I ready this – ha ha ha!!!!
Another belter Nagi! It looks amazing.
Aww thanks Debs. Hope you had a fabulous weekend! N xx
Hey Nagi!
This one knocked it outta the park! Came out “as close to Italian as you could in 20 minutes”.
I too, was wary of the “one pot pasta” deal, some ended up kind of “gloppy” in the sauce department.
Thanks for another winner!
Christopher
WOAH! You made it already – WOO HOO!! I’m so glad you approved of this Christopher, I knew this one would be a bit contentious!! N xx
Love how you solved the gluey sauce problem… We will like this, no doubt…
As an aside… you wrote “one less thing to think about, one less pot to wash” and my mind went immediately to the song, “One Less Bell to Answer by The 5th Dimension… Yes…I’m that old with a weird mind.. ;o)
I love Dozer… :O)
I just googled that song….and now it’s stuck in MY head. Thanks alot Ross! ?
Your Alfredo pasta is mouthwatering. I love these one pot meals, less fuss, less cleaning. We can also use shrimp instead of chicken.
My daughter loves your dog, I show her these pictures every time she is around when I visit your blog!
Hi, I have to admit from the start that I am an absolute FOODIE and I honestly believe in the integrity of all recipes that
I encounter here on the internet. I also believe that all Chefs, Cooks, etc. should not try to change the structure of a very
good recipe just to satisfy “one pot cooks”. Most of those recipes are not worth the effort, both in taste and a waste of time and money where the ingredients are concerned. I want good wholesome recipes that taste good and look good, and I am not concerned about doing it in a single pot. For those “onepot cooks”, my advise, go out and get a hamburger at fast food joints, if making dinner for yourself or family determines whether it is in a single pot. How lazy can you get for yourself or family. Ingredients cost money and time is also money, and after you try these so called “one pot” wonders and they don’t come out right, who do you blame. I say, your to blame, and try to find recipes that are cooked properly and are not adjusted down to one pot for lazy people. If I have to wash two or more pots, so be it, I want my time and effort to reflect a good meal. I will make this recipe, but I will cook the pasta
in a different pot and add it to the cream sauce in the end. Bon Appetite
Hi Robert! I totally respect your opinion 🙂 I love my classic Alfredo (I linked it in the recipe). But I also know that for some people whose lives are so busy, being able to make a great meal in one pot – even if not as perfect as making it the classic way with 2 pots – can be the difference between eating out or frozen meals, or eating in. In my humble opinion, home cooked meals, in whatever form, are hands down better than any takeout or frozen meal. So while I have the utmost respect for the classic way of making pastas, and it’s certainly my default way of making pasta, I sometimes create one pot recipes like this. And I promise, this comes out right. It really does. I would never share a recipe I wasn’t happy with. The sauce is silky and the pasta is truly evenly cooked – unlike other one pot pasta recipes you’ll find “out there”. 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi. Another one pot wonder; can’t beat a bowl of creamy goodness. No surprise Dozer won out, you are such a push over for that big lug (an admirable trait in my book).
Just say it – he’s a brat, and I let him get away with it. ?
You have the soul of an Italian!! This sounds wonderful — I am trying it ASAP and Dozer is adorable. I bet he’s glad you’re back home.
Hardly! I think you Nonna would scream if she saw this recipe!!! ?
Looks yummy. Iam pinning for this week. Dozer is enjoying water and weather
Weather means nothing to Dozer! He just wants the FUN! 🙂