Why you should make pasta with chicken and cream sauce
This recipe is popular because it uses a few high quality ingredients to create a professional result at home. The double cream creates a thick coating for the pasta which stays silky until you are ready to eat. Adding fresh garlic and plenty of black pepper brings out the best flavours in the chicken. You can easily adapt pasta with chicken and cream sauce by adding vegetables like peas or mushrooms if you have them.
Follow these 4 steps for pasta with chicken and cream sauce
Boil the pasta: Fill a large pot with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil and cook the pasta according to the packets instructions until it is tender. Drain the water but keep a small amount of the cooking liquid aside. Set the pasta to the side while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Cook the chicken: Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and fry it until it is golden brown and cooked all the way through. Stir in the finely chopped garlic and cook for one more minute until it smells fragrant.
Make the sauce: Pour the double cream into the pan with the chicken and lower the heat slightly. Let the cream simmer gently for a couple of minutes until it begins to thicken. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until it has melted into the liquid. This creates the base for your pasta with chicken and cream sauce.
Combine and serve: Add the cooked pasta into the pan with the cream sauce and chicken. Toss everything together so each piece of pasta is well coated in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick you can add a splash of the saved pasta water. Serve the meal immediately in warm bowls with extra cheese on top.
Useful tips for pasta with chicken and cream sauce
Make sure you do not overcook the chicken as it will continue to heat once you add the cream. Using double cream instead of single cream ensures the sauce is thick and does not separate when heated. If you want a bit of extra flavour you can fry some sliced mushrooms along with the chicken. Freshly grated parmesan melts much better than the pre grated variety from a packet.
Always season your pasta water well as this is the only chance to flavour the pasta itself. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end can help balance the richness of the pasta with chicken and cream sauce. If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for up to two days and reheat gently with a little milk.
You might also enjoy
plaice with hollandaise sauce,
salmon fishcakes or
mexican beef bake.