My Americanized Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Traditional Alfredo sauce is actually just butter and cheese melted into hot pasta, but the expectation of a cream-based sauce has evolved over the years into what we know Alfredo to be today in American cuisine.

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This recipe takes it back a little closer to the traditional roots with just a few great ingredients, but with the addition of heavy cream to enhance the decadent texture (and to keep it in line with the Americanized expectation of "Alfredo"). I also like to add in chopped chicken and finish with fresh parsley for a bright, herbal flavor. 

Before starting this recipe, I make it a well-rounded meal by roasting a pan of broccoli florets with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 for 20 minutes. Once that's in, I gather my Alfredo ingredients and start the sauce and by the time the broccoli is done, the entire dinner is ready. Eliminate the broccoli and this pasta is done on its own in 15 minutes. This is one of the meals I go to when I don't have a lot of time to cook dinner, but want something comforting and ridiculously delicious (read: I make this a lot).

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My Americanized Chicken Alfredo

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

8 oz dry fettuccine

1/2 pt heavy cream

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves peeled garlic, slightly smashed

1 cup freshly grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano

1 lb chicken breast, chopped

Salt

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Bring a pot of salted water to boil, then add the fettuccine. Let cook until molto al dente (about 8 minutes), then drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. 

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Heat cream, butter, and garlic over medium-low heat until wisps of steam appear. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Cook chicken in butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked through. Combine cooked pasta, pasta water, Alfredo sauce, and chicken over medium heat until pasta is al dente and sauce begins to coat each noodle. Salt to taste.

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Serve immediately, garnishing with additional parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired.

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The Details

Need a little more info? Let's break down the condensed recipe into more detail.

Step 1: Boil Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add your pasta. I like to use fettuccine noodles for this recipe, but you can use bowties or anything you like. Cook until molto al dente (aka slightly undercooked). We're going to be cooking the pasta the rest of the way in the Alfredo sauce in order to get the most bang for our buck with flavor. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water when the pasta is ready to drain.

Step 2: Begin the Sauce 

Peel 3 cloves garlic and smash slightly with the side of a knife, just to break them open. We'll use these to give a garlic flavor to the sauce as the cream heats up, then we'll throw them out. This keeps the sauce texture nice and creamy without having bits of garlic throughout, but you still get that classic garlic flavor. 

Add the garlic, along with 2 tbsp butter, to 1/2 pt. heavy cream over medium-low heat until butter is melted and wisps of steam begin to appear. The butter should just finish melting as the cream is finished heating. We don't want to boil the cream - just heat it through so that the cheese will melt. Turn off heat, discard garlic cloves, and mix in 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

Tip: Pick Your Parmesan

Please don't use green can "parmesan cheese." I'm all for saving money and for use-what-you-have meals, but there are so few ingredients in this recipe that you really need to make sure that the ingredients you choose are quality ingredients that shine. 

At the very least, get pre-grated Frigo or BelGioioso parmesan from the deli/specialty cheese section, but it is worth it to get a block of parmesan and grate it yourself. It will melt a lot easier since it won't have the anti-caking agent that most pre-shredded cheeses have. 

If you really want a killer dish, get parmigiano-reggiano. It's an expensive initial investment (typically around $20/lb.), but the powerful, complex flavor is so worth it. Plus, a block of it will last a good dozen meals!

And hey - if you do have a green can of cheese currently in your fridge or pantry, don't throw it out. Think of it as a seasoning and use it on french fries and popcorn. Just don't use it as a substitute for real parmesan. Promise? Ok. Moving on!

Step 3: Cook Chicken

Take a chicken breast and chop into small pieces. I like to do this over just making strips of chicken because you get more chicken throughout the dish, and it cooks a lot faster. Season with salt and pepper and saute with 1/2 tbsp each olive oil and butter until cooked through. This will only take about 5 minutes. 

Step 4: Combine

Pour the Alfredo sauce in with the drained pasta, pasta water, and chicken. Cook over medium-low heat until sauce begins to thicken and pasta is al dente (about 3-4 minutes). Fold the pasta constantly during this secondary cooking period to allow it to release starch into the sauce. You'll start to notice the sauce thickening and coating each noodle as you fold (it will thicken more as it sits and cools). 

Taste for salt level. Because of the salty cheese and the salt in the pasta water, you may not need any additional salt. Serve immediately, garnishing with more fresh parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.