Make bow tie chicken Alfredo for a quick and easy family dinner! This recipe is ready in about 30 minutes and has juicy chicken, pasta, and creamy cheese sauce.
C.W. NewellYields: 6 serving(s)Prep Time: 30 minsTotal Time: 38 minsSavePrintWhen it's 5:02 p.m. and your family is begging for dinner, make this skillet bow tie chicken Alfredo. Boy, is it delicious—and easy!
Kids of all ages will love it, and you will too, because it's ready in about 30 minutes and it's extremely low effort. If you have cooked chicken on hand—like leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken—it's even lower effort. And the rest comes together with ingredients you probably already have on standby: butter, garlic, cream, half-and-half, a little white wine, parmesan, and pasta.
If you're out of bow ties, any of your favorite pasta shapes will work. Chicken broth can be used instead of wine. And there's no need to scout out a hunk of parmesan to freshly grate—the powdery, pre-grated stuff works great. Alfredo recipes aren't meant to be complicated!
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Step
1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add small handful of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
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Step
2
Season the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more butter) over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side for cutlets and 8 minutes per side for breasts. Transfer to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, slice into roughly 1/4-inch-thick strips and set aside.
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Step
3
Add more butter to the skillet if necessary, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine (or chicken broth), scraping the bottom of the skillet, and let it bubble up and reduce for 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste, whisking constantly until it's all combined. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. If it gets too thick, you may thin it with some pasta water.
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Step
4
Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan, then throw the hot pasta right on top of it. Toss it a bit. Add half the chicken and continue tossing until it's all combined.
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Step
5
Taste it, adjust seasonings, then top with the remaining chicken, parsley, and extra parmesan. Serve immediately!
