Do you need leftover roast chicken to make great creamy chicken pasta? No, and that's good news on a weeknight. The raw chicken, cut into strips, cooks in the time it takes the pasta water to come to a boil.
This recipe needs just one frying pan and one saucepan, for a complete meal in 25 minutes flat, sauce included.
This creamy chicken pasta recipe takes 25 minutes in total, 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, and serves 4. Tagliatelle, seared chicken breasts, crème fraîche, garlic and parmesan: nothing else is needed.
Two rules make all the difference: sear the chicken over high heat without letting it boil in the sauce afterwards, and keep a little pasta cooking water to loosen the cream when you bring everything together.
Ingredients
- 400 g tagliatelle (or penne)
- 2 chicken breasts, about 500 g
- 20 cl thick crème fraîche
- 80 g grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 yellow onion
- 20 g butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Step-by-step recipe
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it al dente according to the time on the package. Set aside a ladleful of cooking water before draining.
- Sear the chicken. Cut the chicken breasts into strips, then season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat and brown the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring as little as possible so it colors well. Set aside.
- Soften the onion and garlic. In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the butter, the sliced onion and the chopped garlic. Let them soften for 3 minutes without browning.
- Deglaze. Pour in a little of the reserved pasta water to lift the browned chicken juices from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce for 1 minute.
- Add the cream. Pour in the crème fraîche, season lightly with salt and add the nutmeg. Let it simmer gently over low heat for 3 minutes, without boiling, so the sauce thickens without splitting.
- Return the chicken. Put the chicken and its juices back into the sauce, add the grated parmesan and stir for 2 minutes over low heat, until the cheese has melted.
- Toss the pasta. Drain the pasta and add it straight to the pan. Toss to coat it well, and loosen with a little cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
- Serve. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and a little parmesan. Serve right away, on warm plates.
The chef's tip
A cream sauce that splits is almost always the result of too much heat. Once the cream is in, keep the heat low, at a bare simmer, until the end of cooking. Starchy pasta water is your best ally for bringing back a sauce that has reduced too much: it loosens it without thinning it out, and gives the dish a glossy finish without adding any fat.
Variations
- With mushrooms: add 200 g sliced button mushrooms with the onion and cook until they release their liquid.
- With lemon: add the zest of one unwaxed lemon at the very end of cooking, for a touch of freshness.
- Lighter version: replace the crème fraîche with cream cheese loosened with a little milk.
- Spicy: add a pinch of Espelette pepper or smoked paprika along with the chicken.
Frequently asked questions
Which pasta works best for creamy chicken pasta?
Shapes that hold the sauce well work best: tagliatelle, fettuccine or penne. Avoid very thin pasta such as vermicelli or angel hair, which gets lost in a creamy sauce and loses its bite.
Why does my cream sauce split or turn greasy?
It is almost always a question of heat. Cream brought to a rolling boil separates. Keep the heat low as soon as the cream goes in, and choose thick crème fraîche, which is more stable when cooked than liquid cream.
Can I make this dish ahead and reheat it?
The chicken sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator. Cook the pasta at the last minute for the best texture. When ready to serve, reheat gently, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce.
In the kitchen with the right apron
Searing chicken over high heat, then stirring the cream sauce constantly: two steps that easily send a few splatters flying. A well-cut kitchen apron protects your clothes during these crucial minutes, and comes in handy for every pan-cooked recipe throughout the week.
Le Tablier du Chef, kitchen and workwear aprons, online.
