Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta – Easy 30-Minute Dinner

Quick Summary

This creamy garlic chicken pasta is an easy weeknight dinner made with tender chicken, garlic, cream, pasta and cheese. It is rich, comforting and ready in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for those evenings when you are wondering what to eat tonight.

Some evenings you want something comforting, filling and delicious without spending hours in the kitchen.

This creamy garlic chicken pasta is exactly that kind of meal.

Tender pieces of seasoned chicken are cooked until golden, then combined with a rich garlic cream sauce and pasta. Add a little parmesan or cheddar cheese and you have an easy family dinner that tastes far more complicated than it actually is.

The best part? You can have everything on the table in around 30 minutes.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta Recipe

Serves: 2–3 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: About 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

250 g pasta – penne, fusilli, spaghetti or tagliatelle
2 chicken breasts, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
250 ml fresh cream
½ cup grated parmesan or cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs or Italian herbs
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup pasta cooking water, if needed
Fresh parsley, chopped – optional
Extra grated cheese for serving – optional

How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta

Cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente. Before draining, keep about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
Season the chicken.
Place the sliced chicken in a bowl and season with paprika, salt, black pepper and dried herbs. Mix well so that all the chicken is lightly coated.
Cook the chicken.
Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden on the outside and completely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Cook the garlic.
Reduce the heat slightly and add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring continuously. Do not allow the garlic to burn.
Make the creamy sauce.
Pour the cream into the pan and stir well, scraping up any flavour left behind from cooking the chicken. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
Add the cheese.
Stir the grated cheese into the cream sauce and continue stirring until melted and smooth.
Return the chicken.
Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and stir until it is coated in the creamy garlic sauce.
Add the pasta.
Add the drained pasta and toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water until you reach the consistency you prefer.
Taste and season.
Taste the pasta and add more salt, black pepper or cheese if required.
Serve.
Serve immediately with chopped parsley, extra grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Brood’s Tip: Keep some of your pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. The starchy water is perfect for loosening the cream sauce without making it watery.

Why This Is Such a Good Weeknight Dinner

There is a reason creamy chicken pasta is such a reliable dinner option.

It uses ingredients that are easy to find, does not require complicated cooking techniques and can be adapted depending on what you already have in the fridge.

The chicken provides plenty of flavour and protein, while the creamy garlic sauce turns a simple bowl of pasta into proper comfort food.

It is also easy to make more of the recipe if you are feeding a larger family.

What Pasta Works Best?

You can use almost any pasta you have available.

Good options include:

Penne
Fusilli
Fettuccine
Tagliatelle
Spaghetti
Linguine

Penne and fusilli are particularly good because the creamy sauce gets caught in the pasta, giving you plenty of sauce in every bite.

Can I Add Mushrooms?

Absolutely.

Mushrooms are one of the easiest additions to this recipe.

Slice approximately 200 g of mushrooms and fry them in the pan after removing the chicken. Cook them until golden before adding the butter and garlic.

You can then continue with the recipe as normal.

Other Ingredients You Can Add

This recipe is very easy to customise.

Try adding:

Mushrooms
Baby spinach
Cooked bacon
Sun-dried tomatoes
Broccoli
Peas
Chopped chilli
Red pepper

You do not need many extra ingredients. Even one addition can completely change the dish.

How to Make the Sauce Extra Creamy

The secret is to keep the heat relatively low once the cream has been added.

Do not vigorously boil the cream.

Allow it to simmer gently before adding the cheese. The cheese will help thicken the sauce and give it a rich, silky texture.

If your sauce becomes too thick, add one or two tablespoons of pasta water at a time.

Can I Use Cheddar Instead of Parmesan?

Yes.

Parmesan gives the sauce a slightly sharper and more traditional flavour, but ordinary cheddar works perfectly well and is often more affordable and easier to find.

You can also use a combination of cheddar and parmesan.

What to Serve with Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta

This pasta is filling enough to serve on its own, but it also works beautifully with a simple side dish.

Try it with:

Garlic bread
Green salad
Roasted vegetables
Steamed broccoli
Tomato and onion salad
Crusty bread

A fresh salad works particularly well because the acidity and crunch balance the richness of the cream sauce.

How to Make It Spicy

If you like a little heat, add:

½ teaspoon chilli flakes
Fresh chopped chilli
A small spoonful of chilli sauce
Extra paprika or smoked paprika

Add the chilli together with the garlic so that its flavour spreads throughout the sauce.

Can I Use Leftover Chicken?

Yes.

If you have cooked chicken left over from another meal, simply shred or chop it and add it to the sauce once the cream and cheese have been combined.

Because the chicken is already cooked, you only need to heat it through.

This makes the recipe even quicker.

How to Store Leftovers

Allow leftover pasta to cool before transferring it to a sealed container.

Keep it refrigerated and reheat gently before serving.

Cream sauces naturally thicken once chilled, so add a splash of milk or cream while reheating to loosen the sauce again.

Frequently Asked Questions About Creamy Chicken Pasta

Can I make creamy chicken pasta without cream?

Yes. You can use full-cream milk with a little cream cheese, or make a simple white sauce using butter, flour and milk. The flavour and texture will be slightly different but still delicious.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes. Boneless chicken thighs work very well and tend to stay particularly juicy.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

You can, although creamy pasta is best served freshly made. If preparing it ahead, keep a little extra cream or milk available when reheating.

What cheese should I use?

Parmesan is ideal, but cheddar, pecorino or a mixture of cheeses can also be used.

Can I add vegetables?

Definitely. Mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, peas and peppers are all excellent additions.

How do I stop the sauce becoming too thick?

Keep some pasta cooking water and add it gradually until the sauce reaches the consistency you want.

An Easy Answer to “What Should I Eat Tonight?”

When you are standing in the kitchen wondering what should I eat tonight?, this is exactly the type of recipe worth keeping nearby.

It is quick enough for a weekday, comforting enough for a cold evening and flexible enough to use whatever extras you already have in the fridge.

Chicken, pasta, garlic, cream and cheese – sometimes dinner really does not need to be more complicated than that.

Brood’s Last Tip: Make a little more than you think you need. Creamy garlic chicken pasta has a habit of disappearing quickly.

What would you add to yours? Mushrooms, bacon, spinach or chilli? Tell us in the comments.