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Gracious Cooking

Chicken Alfredo

Creamy, comforting Chicken Alfredo is surprisingly fast and simple to make.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound pasta of choice I use a small shape like rotini, but feel free to use fettuccini. I would avoid tiny shapes, or very thin shapes, such as spaghetti.
  • 3 or 4 Tablespoons Kosher salt for the pasta cooking water
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
  • 1 and ½ cups heavy cream cold
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
  • ¾ teaspoon salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice start with ¼ teaspoon if measuring makes you feel good.
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water Save a cup of the pasta water before you drain the pasta.
  • 1 cup frozen peas optional
  • 1 pound leftover grilled chicken, cubed you could also definitely grill some chicken before you started the pasta if you didn't have leftovers.
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley optional

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.
  2. Once the water is boiling, add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of kosher salt. The water should taste salty. Add your pasta and cook according to the package directions.
  3. As soon as you put the pasta on to cook, start your sauce.
  4. Preheat a large skillet (preferably with high sides) over medium heat.
  5. Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the pan. Add your garlic and cook for just a few seconds, until fragrant.
  6. Add the cream and then immediately the egg yolk, whisking as soon as the yolk hits the cream. This will prevent the yolk from scrambling. You want the cold cream to shield the yolk from the hot butter and the pan.
  7. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, and then reduce the heat to low, whisking every minute or so.
  8. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk together.
  9. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. You want to add salt after the cheese, because parmesan is salty and it's easy to get carried away with the salt.
  10. Right before your pasta is done, add a little squeeze of lemon juice. This really brightens the sauce and adds depth to the dish.
  11. Take a liquid measure and scoop out about 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
  12. Add the frozen peas directly to your pasta water just before the pasta is done. The peas only need about 30 seconds to warm through.
  13. Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add chicken and stir. Let it cook for a couple of minutes to warm the chicken through.
  14. If the sauce gets too thick, add about ¼ cup of pasta water, then stir.
  15. Sprinkle more parmesan over the top of the dish, if you wish.
  16. Garnish with chopped parsley, if you're feeling fancy.
  17. Enjoy!

Notes

Before storing leftovers in the fridge, add another ¼ cup of pasta water to the dish. This will help it not dry out when you re-heat it.