Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken
Creamy garlic parmesan sauce sauce paired with juicy chicken breast on a bed of pasta is the best weeknight dinner meal. This is a toddler approved, quick and easy chicken dinner recipe!
Ingredients
Oven Fried Chicken Breasts
- 3 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tbsp butter to coat the pan for the chicken to bake in
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon Knorr brand is my favorite
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs to make the chicken breasts crispy
- 1/2 cup flour to coat the chicken
- 2 large eggs to allow the breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken
Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- 3 tbsp butter kerrygold brand, salted
- 5 oz parmesan cheese shredded
- 1½ cup heavy cream for creaminess
- 1½ cup chicken stock base for the sauce
- 3 tbsp flour to thicken the sauce
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning for flavor
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil for searing the garlic
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon
Instructions
- Take out your chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise. In a separate bowl large enough to hold the chicken, add either 2 cups heavy cream and 2 tbsp vinegar or regular buttermilk if you have it. Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture and set aside for 15 minutes so the chicken can reach room temperature.
- Make your line up for breading the chicken. Start with a plate filled with ½ cup flour and ½ tbsp chicken bouillon. Crack 2 eggs and whisk into a bowl. Last, fill a plate with panko or breadcrumbs.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and melt 2 tbsp of butter. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and coat with the melted butter. Dry off each chicken breast with paper towels and dredge in the flour mixture followed by eggs, followed by the panko breadcrumbs.
- Place chicken onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, flip carefully with a flat spatula and bake for an additional 20 minutes. The breading will fall off if you aren’t careful. If the chicken is not a brown color, raise the heat to broil and roast for 1-2 minutes watching VERY CAREFULLY until it reaches the deep, golden color you prefer. Even a minute too long can turn this chicken from moist and juicy to dry and burnt so watch very carefully.
- While the chicken is cooking, you can make the parmesan sauce and pasta. Boil and salt some water and cook an entire 16 oz box of cavatappi pasta to your liking. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil once drained to avoid sticking.
- Mince 5 peeled garlic cloves or skip this part if you are using garlic powder (2 tsp garlic powder will work in its place). Drizzle a little bit of olive oil and sauté garlic and 2 tsp Italian seasoning on medium-high heat for about 1 minute. You will know the garlic is done when it becomes fragrant.
- Add 3 tbsp flour to the butter garlic mixture and whisk consistently until it starts to turn golden brown. We want a very light brown color here, not dark.
- Reduce heat to medium and slowly add 1 ½ cups chicken stock. Stir until blended. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes as it continues to thicken. Add 1 ½ cups heavy cream until the mixture is smooth and creamy, followed by 5 oz of shredded parmesan cheese and 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon.Note: 5 oz shredded parmesan is roughly 1 cup.
- At this point, your oven fried chicken breasts should be ready (make sure the internal temperature is 165°F). Remove them from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack or paper towels. Gather your pasta and fully coat with sauce. Top with crispy baked chicken and fresh parsley. Enjoy!