This Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is made in ONE pot with just SIX ingredients and in 30 minutes! It really doesn’t get easier or more flavorful than this. With a step by step recipe video down below.
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It’s Monday, which means I’m back with another Six Ingredient Supper (see all my 6 Ingredient Suppers here!), and this time it’s one of our favorites!
To be fair, I don’t know many people who don’t love a great big pot of Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.
It is so cozy, and comforting, and creamy, and the perfect dinner for when you just need a big plate of carbs. (It’s all about balance, right?)
I really wanted to make this Chicken Alfredo Pasta for one of my 6 Ingredient Suppers because I feel like there is some misconception that Fettuccine Alfredo is hard or time consuming to make.
It is not at all, and while this version isn’t entirely authentic, it’s closer than some of those sauces that require a separate pot and more than a few ingredients.
A hearty pasta dinner doesn’t have to be complicated, and since I promised you that we would be using the least amount of pots and pans we could, we’re doing it all in one pot.
I know the Italian people are cringing right now, but I believe that one pot pasta can be done just as well (and perfectly al dente!) as the original and with a lot less dish washing 😉
If you love this Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, you’ll also enjoy my Chicken Alfredo Bake, Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Dip, and this Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta.
How to make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo:
- Start with the chicken: we want to give our chicken a bit of a head start so that it is cooked when our pasta is ready. Cook the chicken briefly on each side — it may not brown (depending on how moist it is), but it will still be delicious.
- Add the broth (after the garlic, of course): If there are any browned bits stuck on the pan after cooking the chicken, adding the broth to a hot pan will help pick those tasty bits off the bottom.
- Add the fettuccine — yes, dry! I’m a big fan of one pot pastas and they can be done well if you’re paying attention 😉 Because fettuccine noodles are long and somewhat wide, they will clump together if you don’t stir enough. Try to stir every couple minutes!
- Once the pasta is cooked and most of the broth is absorbed, add the cream and Parmesan and simmer. The heavy cream thickens beautifully and is all we need to finish our sauce.
How do I make this Fettuccine Alfredo vegetarian?
You can easily make this Fettuccine Alfredo vegetarian by skipping the chicken (try sauteeing some mushrooms in its place before adding the pasta!) and using vegetable broth to cook the pasta.
Feel free to add in additional veggies near the end if you prefer (frozen peas or broccoli are some of our favorite additions!).
Can I use pasta other than fettuccine in this recipe?
No fettuccine? No problem!
You can use linguine, spaghetti, or a short cut of pasta, as long as the weight of your pasta is roughly the same as is called for in the recipe.
When using any long pasta, be sure to stir and separate the pasta often so you don’t get any stuck together.
With short cuts of pasta, this isn’t an issue, but regular stirring is still recommended.
Can I make this Chicken Alfredo pasta ahead?
You can, but it’s so simple to make that we usually don’t.
To prep ahead, you can cook this Fettuccine Alfredo entirely, then cool slightly and refrigerate up to 3 days. (I like to store it right in the skillet to save on dishes — we’re going to need the skillet later!)
To reheat, add a big splash of water, chicken or vegetable broth and reheat, stirring often, on low heat on the stove top. This is the most foolproof way to reheat pasta, and this sauce does thicken quite a bit as it sits.
Variations on this Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo:
- Swap the chicken for crumbled Italian sausage (or turkey sausage) for a fun, flavorful twist.
- Swap the heavy cream for half and half to cut out some of the fat (keeping in mind it won’t have as rich a flavor, but it will still be delicious).
- Add in some extra shredded cheese if extra cheesy is your thing! Keep in mind that additional cheese will thicken the sauce further, so you may need to add additional broth to compensate.
- I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten-free pasta, and I am always a little leary of using them in one pot pastas as they seem to overcook quickly. You are welcome to try it, and if you do, please leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
More one pot pastas you’ll love!
- Healthy One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- One Pot Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage Recipe + VIDEO
- One Pot Chicken Chow Mein Recipe + VIDEO
- Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe + VIDEO
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Pin this recipe to your favorite boardChicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 375 grams uncooked fettuccine pasta (about 13 ounces)
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet (one that will fit all the liquid and the pasta), heat oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken, roughly 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add broth, salt and pepper, and scrape and bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add fettuccine and stir well, pressing all of the pasta into the liquid. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is nearly cooked, stirring and separating noodles often so they do not clump.
- Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan. Cook over medium heat until it reaches a simmer and thickens slightly. If necessary, add a splash of broth or cream to make the sauce come together. Serve.
Nutrition Information
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Carmen says
I used penne pasta it do well. Excellent RECEIPE of yours.
Elizabeth Gastin says
Would it work using other noodles than fettuccine like say ramen noodles?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Elizabeth! You could probably use spaghetti as well. I am unsure how the ramen noodles but you could try. They cook very quickly so I would suggest adding them at the very end.
Kathi Paxton says
Can you make this with noodles that have already been cooked? Would you just use less chicken broth? I have some noodles I need to use up.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kathi, you probably could. I would definitely use less broth. Hope you enjoy it!
Sarah says
So easy and very good! We added roasted broccoli to the recipe. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review!
RLela Potter says
Hi, Ashley we made this Chicken Alfredo last night but we also made some shrimp on the side (yuck) lol.
I just want to say O.M.G it was amazing my family loved it, even my husband said it was definitely a keeper. All through dinner they just kept saying hmmm this is really good… so this is going in my recipe book for sure. You have been a saving grace for me for sure so from the bottom of my heart Thank You!!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi RLela! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
RLela says
Oh absolutely!! You’re most welcome! Like I said you’ve been a saving grace for my dinner table, I have found myself especially sneaking over to your desert options as well.
Diana says
I love this recipe, however, I have a question that may sound silly: Is it normal for the sauce to splatter while eating? For some reason, I have a hard time getting the fettuccine to wrap around my fork without the sauce splattering all over. And the fettuccine keeps slipping off my fork. Any tips? Am I twirling my pasta wrong or does my sauce need to be thicker? Delicious in any case – just trying to stop the splatters!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Diana! I’m sorry but I am not really able to give advice on how to eat fettuccine. Your sauce shouldn’t be runny if you “Cook over medium heat until it reaches a simmer and thickens slightly.”
Lisa says
Delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lisa!
Christine says
Do you have to use cream? Would half and half or even milk work? Just to lighten it up a bit.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Christine! Heavy cream works best because it thickens so much in the pan without any need for flour or corn starch. You could definitely sub some of the cream for milk or half and half, or even do a little more broth and just add a bit of cream. I would still add some though!
Diana says
I tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Everyone else loved it too! Thank you for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Diana!
jefftingler@gmail.com says
My family loves this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!