Description
Enjoy this comforting dish of golden, crispy garlic butter chicken served with tender rotini pasta coated in a rich, cheesy Alfredo sauce. It’s a perfect weeknight meal that’s both easy to make and incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Garlic Butter Chicken:
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes)
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- For the Cheesy Alfredo Twisted Pasta:
- 12 oz rotini pasta (or other twisted pasta shapes)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Garlic Butter Chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine the cubed chicken with garlic powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- In the last minute of cooking, add butter and minced garlic to the skillet. Baste the chicken with the garlic butter until fragrant. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Cook the Twisted Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, slightly undercooking it.
- Drain the pasta using a colander, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Make the Cheesy Alfredo Sauce: In the same pot used for the pasta, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
- Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Combine and Serve: Add the drained rotini pasta to the Alfredo sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly.
- Serve the cheesy Alfredo twisted pasta topped with the golden garlic butter chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Patting the chicken dry before seasoning helps achieve a better sear and golden crust.
- Warming the cream before adding it to the sauce can help prevent curdling.
- Shredding your own Parmesan cheese will result in a smoother sauce compared to pre-shredded cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg