Italian chicken pasta is a creamy, restaurant-style dinner: thin chicken cutlets dredged in seasoned flour and pan-fried golden, then served over spaghetti tossed in a white wine, tomato and Parmesan cream sauce made in the same skillet. A pinch of red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning keep it lively. It takes 50 minutes and serves 4.
How to make it: Boil the spaghetti until al dente. Shake the cutlets in flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, then brown them in oil until they reach 165°F. In the same pan, soften onion in butter, add garlic and diced tomatoes, stir in a little flour and the wine, then the seasonings, cream and Parmesan. Toss in the pasta and set the chicken on top.
Why You’ll Love It
- Restaurant-style sauce: white wine, cream and Parmesan with fresh tomato.
- Crispy chicken: seasoned flour gives the cutlets a golden crust.
- One skillet for the sauce: it’s built on the browned bits left from the chicken.
- Pantry seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken cutlets: 5 boneless, skinless cutlets. Thin cutlets cook quickly and evenly; slice thick breasts in half horizontally to make your own.
Seasoned flour: 1/2 cup flour with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
Spaghetti: 12 ounces. Fettuccine or penne also work.
Sauce base: 4 tablespoons butter, 1 chopped onion, 4 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 small diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon flour to thicken.
White wine: 1 cup of white cooking wine, or a dry white wine you’d drink. Chicken broth works if you’d rather skip the wine.
Cream and cheese: 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.
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Ingredients
For the chicken
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp oil
For the pasta and sauce
- 12 oz spaghetti noodles
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup white cooking wine
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
How to Make Italian Chicken Pasta
1. Cook the pasta. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the chicken. In a zip-top bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Add the chicken cutlets, seal the bag, and shake to coat each piece evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken cutlets and cook until they are browned on both sides and reach 165°F. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Make the sauce. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened. Add minced garlic and diced tomatoes, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir well to coat. Pour in the white cooking wine and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Gradually whisk in the heavy whipping cream and Parmesan cheese, cooking until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
4. Toss and serve. Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet, tossing to coat in the creamy tomato sauce. Nestle the chicken cutlets back into the skillet among the pasta and sauce. Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Is There Pasta With Chicken in Italy?
Not often. In Italy, pasta is usually its own course, and chicken is served separately as a main dish. Creamy chicken pastas like this one are Italian-American cooking: they borrow Italian flavors, such as garlic, white wine, tomato, Parmesan and dried herbs, and combine everything into one hearty plate. That’s why you’ll find chicken pasta on menus in the US far more than in Italy.
Tips for the Best Creamy Chicken Pasta
- Use thin cutlets. They brown before they dry out. Pound or slice thick breasts first.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches so it browns instead of steaming.
- Keep the browned bits. They flavor the sauce; the wine lifts them off the pan.
- Add the cream slowly. Whisking it in gradually keeps the sauce smooth.
- Save some pasta water. A splash loosens the sauce if it gets too thick.
- Grate your own Parmesan. It melts smoothly into the sauce.
Variations
- Spinach: wilt a few handfuls into the sauce before the pasta goes in.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: use them in place of fresh for a Tuscan-style sauce.
- Mushrooms: sauté sliced mushrooms with the onion.
- No wine: use chicken broth and a squeeze of lemon instead.
- Lighter: use half-and-half in place of the heavy cream.
For another chicken dinner with Italian sausage, try Chicken Murphy, with peppers and potatoes in a tangy wine sauce.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of milk or broth, stirring, until it reaches 165°F; cream sauces thicken in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
Garlic bread and a green or Caesar salad are all it needs.
More chicken pasta dinners: chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake, slow cooker Amish bacon chicken pasta and, for a baked dinner, smothered cheesy sour cream chicken. For more Italian flavors, try Italian Parmesan chicken skewers or smothered chicken with creamed spinach, bacon and mushrooms, and for a quick skillet, one-pot taco spaghetti.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a classic Italian pasta dish with chicken?
Chicken pasta is mostly Italian-American. Creamy dishes like this one, chicken Alfredo and chicken Parmesan over spaghetti are the best-known.
Is there pasta with chicken in Italy?
Rarely. Italians usually serve pasta and chicken as separate courses.
Can I make it without wine?
Yes. Use chicken broth with a squeeze of lemon.
What pasta works best?
Spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine or penne.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of cutlets?
Yes. Slice them in half horizontally or pound them thin so they cook evenly.
How do I keep the sauce from getting too thick?
Add a splash of pasta water or milk and toss until it loosens.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Use thin cutlets, build the sauce on the browned bits and add the cream slowly. If you add spinach or sun-dried tomatoes, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Italian Chicken Pasta
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Ingredients
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning for chicken
- 2 tbsp oil
- 12 oz spaghetti noodles
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 2 small tomatoes diced
- 1 tbsp flour for thickening sauce
- 1 cup white cooking wine
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning for sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a zip-top bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Add the chicken cutlets, seal the bag, and shake to coat each piece evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken cutlets and cook until they are browned on both sides and reach 165°F. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened. Add minced garlic and diced tomatoes, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir well to coat. Pour in the white cooking wine and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Gradually whisk in the heavy whipping cream and Parmesan cheese, cooking until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet, tossing to coat in the creamy tomato sauce. Nestle the chicken cutlets back into the skillet among the pasta and sauce. Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
1 comment
Why is the picture showing cut up chicken pieces and the instructions are using whole chicken breast?