Chicken Alfredo
Alfredo is one of my favorite pasta, I made it literally two days in a row, it was that good. It is quite different from tomato pasta and white sauce pasta. Alfredo sauce is cream based and it has its own amazing flavour and creaminess. I added chicken, but you can make it entirely vegetarian by using mushrooms or peppers. You can in fact add any vegetables like mushroom, zuchinni, bellpeppers, broccoli, carrots or peas in this and make it veg alfredo. If you don’t want cream based pasta, check my creamy chicken pasta without cream. You can check out my pasta recipes, I have quite a collection of it.
About Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo is a popular creamy Italian pasta dish. Traditionally it is made with fettuccine pasta and popularly known as Fettuccine Alfredo, also known as fettuccine al burro, is an Italian pasta dish that consists of fresh fettuccine tossed in butter and Parmesan cheese. As the cheese melts, it emulsifies the liquids, resulting in a smooth, rich cheese sauce that coats the pasta. Traditional Italian Alfredo sauce is created by the emulsification of butter, starchy pasta water and parmesan cheese. But I use milk and cream to make my Alfredo sauce more creamy and easy. Alfredo sauce is very different from our white sauce. It is made with relatively simple ingredients but is very rich in texture. Alfredo sauce is made with modest amount of butter, cream, milk and parmesan cheese. This doesn’t has flour added like white sauce pasta. Ingredients like garlic, spice powders, parsley is added purely for flavour. I prefer to use lots of garlic which imparts so much flavour into the pasta. Cooked chicken, shrimp, sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli is optional but makes this pasta much more substantial.
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Video for Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo Ingredients
Pasta - you can use any variety of pasta in Alfredo. I used penne here, but traditionally it is made with fettuccine pasta. Since fresh pasta frequently contains eggs, the flavours of dried and fresh pastas are likely to differ. Chicken Breast - I like to butterfly my chicken and season it generously with favourite seasoning before grilling. Chicken breasts are prone to drying out when overcooked, so they should be cooked quickly over high heat. Cooking chicken breasts in a skillet, stir-frying, roasting/baking, or grilling are the best options. Olive oil - If you are using vegetables or protein like chicken or shrimp, use olive oil to cook them. If you use butter, the intense heat of searing the meat will burn the butter.
Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
Butter - Alfredo is a rich pasta dish which uses a good amount of butter. I like to cook the chicken in olive oil and finish it with butter for better flavour. The sauce is made with butter. Garlic - freshly minced garlic is added for flavour. Make sure you chop them finely before adding so it mix into the sauce. Cream and Milk - One of the most essential ingredients. cream and milk is added for richness and creaminess, always cook on low once you add in cream and milk else they may get curdled. Cheese when mixed with the hot cream and milk emulsify to create a luscious sauce. Parmesan - Parmesan cheese has a hard, gritty texture and a umami, nutty flavour. It is typically eaten grated over pastas or in soups and risottos, but it can also be eaten on its own as a snack. This is one of the most important ingredient in Alfredo sauce. You can use vegan parmesan cheese which usually made with nutritional yeast, mixed nuts and garlic powder. But freshly grated parmesan is best. Optional - I seasoned the chicken with Italian seasoning, but you can use salt & pepper, cajun seasoning or any of your favourite seasoning. Fresh parsley is chopped finely and added in the end for colour and taste.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce Recipe
One of the most popular pasta sauces are tomato sauce, white sauce, pesto sauce and Alfredo sauce. Alfredo sauce is very different from our white sauce. It is made with relatively simple ingredients but is very rich in texture. Traditional Italian Alfredo sauce is created by the emulsification of butter, starchy pasta water and parmesan cheese. It usually starts by cooking pasta in salted boiling water. Once pasta is almost cooked, heat butter or olive oil in a pan. Add garlic or herbs of your choice. Now add in the cooked pasta, grated parmesan cheese and the starchy pasta water. The pasta is swirled in the butter and pasta water with cheese to create a creamy sauce which is known as Alfredo. But the Alfredo sauce which is popularly made and loved is made with modest amount of butter, cream, milk and parmesan cheese. Some people add flour into the sauce which is not required. The combination of milk, cream, parmesan cheese creates a silky smooth creamy Alfredo sauce.
Parmesan Cheese (Fresh or Storebought)
Even though freshly grated parmesan cheese is preferred. It is hard to find a good quality parmesan cheese in India. So I used vegan parmesan cheese which is equally delicious. You can easily find readymade grated parmesan cheese or vegan parmesan in amazon. Alfredo sauce is cream and milk based sauce added with butter and cheese. So it is best to serve it immediately because as it sits the pasta will absorb the sauce more and gets dry.
What Pasta is best with Alfredo Sauce?
Fettuccine - It is a flat, ribbon like pasta is widely used with Alfredo sauce. The thick, creamy mixture perfectly clings to the fettuccine, making it absorb the sauce better. Penne - penne is the next popular option, because of the texture of the pasta. The sauce penetrates into the penne makes it more appealing and delicious. Spaghetti - this is widely used because of the versatility of the pasta. This cooks faster and makes the Alfredo dish more enjoyable. Linguine - Another suitable substitute is linguine, which is thin but not as flat, or pappardelle is great to pair with the creamy Alfredo.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo (Steps)
Cooking chicken for Alfredo chicken
Take your boneless chicken onto a cutting board. Slice it in the middle to open it like a book or butterfly the chicken. Cut the chicken into two slices. Season the chicken with Italian seasoning or any of your favourite seasoning, lemon juice, salt on both sides. Set aside. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add in chicken in the pan. Cook on medium heat for 2 mins. Flip over and cook on other side for few more minutes. Now add in tbsp of butter and mix into the chicken. Remove to a plate and set aside so it rest for few minutes. Slice the chicken into strips and set aside.
Cooking the pasta
Bring lots of water to a full boil. Add in salt generously. Add pasta in the water and cook pasta in boiling salted water. Cook as per package directions.
Making the sauce for Alfredo
Now in the same pan as you cooked the chicken. Add butter in the same pan. Add in garlic, chillies and saute for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat and pour in milk, cream and mix well. Add in the parmesan cheese and mix till combined. The sauce will emulsify and gets creamy as you mi in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add in chopped parsley and mix well.
Serving Alfredo pasta
Add in cooked pasta and the cooked chicken in. Mix everything well and lower the flame. Take it off the heat. Plate up your pasta, Add more cheese when serving.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo (Stepwise Pictures)
Seasoning Chicken
- I used chicken breast for making alfredo. First take your chicken breast, slice them in the middle and open it like a book. It is called as butterfly the chicken. Once the chicken is sliced, cut them in half. This makes the chicken breast more even and cook faster. 2)Season the chicken generously with your favorite seasoning and lemon juice. Season the chicken on both sides. 3)Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes while you heat the pan. You can marinate the chicken longer if you want.
Cooking chicken breast
4)Heat olive oil in a wide casserole. Allow the oil to get hot. Now place the chicken into the oil and cook for 2 minutes. 5)After 2 minutes, flip over the chicken. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 more minutes. Add a dollop of butter, allow the chicken to cook in the butter on low heat. 6)Now the chicken is cooked on both sides. You can test whether the chicken is cooked or not by cutting it with a knife. 7)Remove the chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. 8)Now slice the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside while you make the sauce.
Cooking Pasta
9)Bring lots of water to boil. Add in salt and let it boil. 10)Add in dry pasta and cook the pasta as per package directions. You can use any pasta like fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti. 11)Once you add the pasta in stir it gently so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. 12)Let the pasta cook. while the pasta is cooking, lets make the Alfredo sauce.
Making Alfredo Sauce
13)For making the alfredo sauce. I am using the same pan in which I cooked the chicken. Add in some butter into the pan. 16)Stir the garlic and chillies into the butter on low heat till it is aromatic. 15)This is optional but I had some dry red chillies. So I added few in. 17)Now lower the heat to the lowest possible. Add in milk. 18)Add in cream and mix well. 19)Mix until the milk and cream is combined. Let the milk and cream cook on low heat till it gets to a simmering point. 20)Add in parmesan cheese. you can use freshly grated parmesan cheese. I used vegan parmesan which I bought from amazon. 21)As soon as you mix in the cheese, the sauce will thicken and get more creamy. Cook on low heat as possible. 22)Add in salt and pepper to taste. 23)Add in the chopped parsley. 24)Mix well so the sauce gets creamy. Alfredo sauce is ready.
Adding pasta into Alfredo sauce
25)When the Alfredo pasta sauce is done, the pasta must be cooked too. Strain the pasta using a slotted spoon and drop it into the sauce. A little of the starchy pasta water will get into the sauce which is not a problem. It helps with the emulsification of the sauce. 26)Mix the pasta gently into the sauce so the pasta is coated with the Alfredo sauce.
Adding in Cooked Chicken into Alfredo sauce
27)Add in the cooked chicken into the pasta. I added chicken, but you can make it entirely vegetarian by using mushrooms or peppers. You can in fact add any vegetables like mushroom, zuchinni, bellpeppers, broccoli, carrots or peas in this and make it veg alfredo. 28)Mix the pasta well and let it cook on low for 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Expert Tips
Pasta of choice
You can use any variety of pasta for making alfredo pasta. I used penne here, but traditionally it is made with fettuccine pasta. You can use spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, papardelle pasta.
Consistency is key
Add more milk or cream to make the sauce perfect consistency. You can increase the milk quantity and reduce the cream level. For vegan option you can use any plant based milk or cream.
Fresh Parmesan or Vegan
Add in freshly grated parmesan for better flavour. You can use vegan parmesan cheese. You can make vegan parmesan cheese at home. Check below for recipe.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese at Home
½ cup Cashews 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast 2 tsp Garlic Powder ½ tsp Salt ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
Blend all of the ingredients in a blender till coarsely ground. Store in fridge or use as needed.
Protein to use in Alfredo
Instead of cooked chicken, you can use cooked shrimp, mushrooms, broccoli, mixed vegetables, green peas, cauliflower or any veggies.
Optional
Finishing Alfredo with truffle oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese adds exotic flavour.
What’s the difference between chicken Alfredo and fettuccine alfredo?
There is no much difference apart from the choice of pasta used in each of the dish.
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