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Few things make me happier than a delicious bowl of pasta – and this Chicken Parmesan Garlic Pasta is such a great recipe. Imagine crispy chicken thighs, pasta in a creamy parmesan and garlic sauce, tossed with fresh basil, all in 30 minutes. It’s creamy, comforting, and so simple to put together. It’s an easy one-pan recipe, so it has minimal washing up and most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious!
I love pasta. It must be one of the foods I cook, and eat, most often. If you are obsessed with pasta as much as I am, my Boursin Tomato Pasta is unbelievably simple and a firm favourite in our house during tomato season. Or try my Chicken Vodka Pasta or Prawn and Chorizo Pasta. This guide will give you a full recipe, tips, tricks and swaps to make this chicken parmesan garlic pasta.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- It is ready in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect midweek meal when you are tired, hungry and want supper on the table fast.
- It is family-friendly – my whole family loves this recipe.
- It is so versatile. You can switch up the pasta, add extra vegetables to the sauce and use chicken thighs or breast (or leave the chicken out).
Ingredients:
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Chicken thighs– ideally, you need skin-on, boneless chicken thighs.
Tomato puree – I always use double concentrate and I like to buy a good quality one. I find it makes a difference to the final dish.
Double cream – also known as heavy cream. You could use single cream if you prefer.
Pasta – I personally like a short pasta here like conchiglie, orecchiette or rigatoni. This is because it matches the size of the chicken so you get a good bite at once.
Substitutions and Variations:
Red onion: you could use a white onion or shallot if you prefer.
Make it spicy: you could add the freshly chopped red chilli with the garlic or swap for a pinch of dried chilli flakes. Or use a chilli paste you have sitting in the cupboard.
Parmesan: swap for another strong hard cheese – Pecorino is also a delicious option.
Here’s how to make Chicken Parmesan Garlic Pasta:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan set over a medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs skin side down, season well with salt and pepper, and lay a weight on the top to help them get extra crispy and cook for about 8 minutes by which point the skin should be golden and crispy. Flip them over and cook for another minute or so until cooked through.
TWO: Meanwhile, return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the butter and red onion, stirring to coat in the juices from the pan. Fry for 7-10 minutes until softened, then add the garlic. Fry for a further minute.
THREE: Then add the tomato puree to the onions and garlic, mix and cook out until it’s a deep rusty colour, around 3 further minutes.
FOUR: Then add the chicken stock, double cream and most of the parmesan. Stir to bring together and bring to a gentle bubble.
FIVE: Add the pasta to the pan and stir everything together so the pasta melds to the sauce to create a deliciously creamy dish.
SIX: Spoon the pasta into serving bowls. Slice each chicken thigh into thick slices and arrange one on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and more basil. You could also chop the chicken and stir straight into the pasta and then serve like that.
Cooking Tips:
Al dente: cook the pasta until it is ‘al dente’ (meaning ‘to the bite’). It should still be firm when you bite into a piece, but not chalky. Remember that it is going to be cooked for a minute or so as it is tossed through the creamy Parmesan garlic sauce.
Pasta water: if you find the sauce thickens too much and turns stodgy when you add the pasta, just add a splash of starchy pasta water. This will bring back the silkiness and keep the dish loose and saucy, rather than thick and claggy (like in my truffle pasta).
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a substantial meal in itself, but you could add some veggies or serve with a salad, if desired. You could also serve with garlic bread.
Yes, chicken breast also works in this creamy parmesan garlic pasta. It’s down to preference. I like thighs as they are juicier and have more flavour but use what you like. If using breasts, scroll to the recipe notes to find the exact cooking method. I like 7 mins a side.
This is a dish definitely best made fresh so that you have the best texture. It is a quick recipe though so I never find I need to make ahead of time.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like the sound of this Chicken Parmesan Garlic Pasta, you will love my Chicken Parmesan Sandwich. You could also try switching up the tomato sauce, by making this recipe with my Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce.
Chicken Recipes
Lemon Chicken Orzo
Lunch Recipes
Chicken Katsu Sandwich
Easy Pasta Recipes
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Easy Pasta Recipes
Boursin Tomato Pasta
If you tried this Chicken Parmesan Garlic Pasta or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Chicken Parmesan Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on chicken thighs, take the bone out if you need to – can also use breasts, see notes for info on cooking times
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 220 ml chicken stock
- 300 ml double cream
- 40g grated Parmesan
- 5 basil leaves, thinly sliced plus more to garnish
- 400 g dried pasta such as conchiglie, orecchiette or rigatoni
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan set over a medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs skin side down, season well with salt and pepper, and lay a weight on the top to help them get extra crispy and cook for about 8 minutes by which point the skin should be golden and crispy. Flip them over and cook for another minute or so until cooked through. If you don’t have a grill press (a frying weight), use another smaller saucepan on top of the chicken with a tin of beans sat in the pan to weigh it down. Remove from the pan and leave to rest on a clean chopping board.
- Meanwhile, return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the butter and red onion, stirring to coat in the juices from the pan. Fry for 7-10 minutes until softened, then add the garlic. Fry for a further minute.
- Next, cook the pasta in well salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.
- Then add the tomato puree to the onions and garlic, mix and cook out until it’s a deep rusty colour, around 3 further minutes. Then add the chicken stock, double cream and most of the parmesan. Stir to bring together and bring to a gentle bubble.
- Once the pasta is ready, reserve some of the cooking water in case you need extra for the sauce and drain well.
- Add the pasta to the pan and stir everything together so the pasta melds to the sauce to create a deliciously creamy dish. Add a splash of water if you need to and stir and toss the whole thing together to help create a smooth and silky sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed. Stir through the chopped basil.
- Spoon the pasta into serving bowls. Slice each chicken thigh into thick slices and arrange one on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and more basil. Enjoy!
- You could also chop the chicken and stir straight into the pasta and then serve like that.
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolute success…very well received by the fam! Delicious chicken; really tasty
Another tasty recipe and easy to make.