Creamy Chicken and Herb Pasta

By
Nicole Hopper
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Nicole Hopper
Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer located in Birmingham, Alabama.
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and
Sharon Hsu
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Sharon Hsu
Sharon Hsu is an enthusiastic recipe and technique developer best known for her expertise in crafting visually appealing cafe and bakery-style treats. She thrives on exploring new concepts in the culinary world, seamlessly blending traditional baking methods with innovative flavors and techniques to create culturally rich creations. She appreciates how food has consistently been at the heart of countless cherished memories and aims to inspire others to bake and cook for their loved ones as an expression of love.
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Published on 02/29/24
Tested by
Spruce Eats Test Kitchen
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Tested by Spruce Eats Test Kitchen
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios, home of the Spruce Eats Test Kitchen, is housed in a 40,000-square-foot facility based in Dotdash Meredith’s Birmingham office, is a hub for food content creation for the nation’s top food and lifestyle publications.
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A plate of creamy pasta with sliced chicken on top

The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 4

Creamy alfredo pasta used to be my go-to order when dining out but I quickly stopped requesting it at restaurants when I discovered how easy it is to recreate at home! Believe it or not, this cozy, comforting, and simple dish is even better than alfredo pasta thanks to the mouthwatering taste of the herbs, wine, and mustard. You can prep this dish in 15 minutes, and it’s ready to eat in under one hour all in one pot. Sign me up!

Browning the chicken, simmering the sauce, and then completing the chicken cooking process in the same skillet, results in a rich depth of flavor. This dish is perfectly balanced, with the acidity of the wine shining through, a gentle tang from the mustard, and a fresh note from an abundance of garlic and herbs. I love garlic so I get a little heavy handed on it and will add double the amount a recipe calls for. Garlic breath doesn’t scare me!

I recommend adding your favorite mushrooms in and any pasta shape your heart desires. Serve with a crisp, fresh salad or toasted garlic bread.

Recipe Tips

  • Dry the chicken—Patting the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel removes excess moisture so they will brown more easily in the pan.
  • Skip the wine—If you don't keep wine in your pantry, just substitute some extra chicken stock.

Ingredients

  • 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

  • 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage), plus more parsley for garnish

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 12 ounces dry fettuccine pasta

  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make creamy chicken herb pasta

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  2. Pat 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

    A chicken breast topped with salt and pepper, and a chicken breast with a paper towel on top

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  3. Heat 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 3 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this point). Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

    A skillet with two cooked chicken breasts, and a plate with two cooked chicken breasts

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  4. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot, 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.

    A skillet with shallots, garlic, and herbs cooking in butter

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  5. Pour in 1/2 cup dry white wine, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to deglaze, until reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.

    A skillet with garlic, shallot, and herbs cooking in white wine

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  6. Pour in 1 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes.

    A skillet with garlic, herbs, and shallots cooking in a white wine-chicken stock sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  7. Pour in 1 cup heavy whipping cream and stir in 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium.

    A skillet of creamy dijon mustard sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  8. Place chicken breasts back into the simmering cream mixture, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 160 F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part, about 8 minutes.

    A skillet with four chicken breasts cooking in a creamy dijon sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  9. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook 12 ounces dry fettuccine pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.

    A large pot of water with fettuccine pasta

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  10. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

    Four cooked chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  11. Gradually stir 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated parmesan and the reserved 1/2 cup pasta water into the cream sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

    A skillet with creamy, dijon-parmesan sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  12. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the skillet. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the pasta is evenly coated in sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.

    A skillet with cooked fettuccini tossed in a creamy dijon-parmesan sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

  13. Divide the pasta evenly among 4 bowls. Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on top of the pasta. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

    A small plate with creamy pasta, with a cutting board of sliced chicken breast, next to a skillet of more pasta tossed in cream sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

How To Store:

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Make it with mushrooms—This dish would be delicious with mushrooms. Cook sliced mushrooms in the skillet after browning the chicken and before adding the shallots, garlic, and herbs. 
  • Pasta options—You could use any shape of pasta desired instead of fettuccine.
  • Dried herbs work, too—If you don't have fresh herbs around, feel free to substitute with 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs. Thyme, sage, and rosemary are especially nice in this dish. If using dried rosemary, crumble it up between your fingers.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
949 Calories
45g Fat
73g Carbs
56g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 949
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g 57%
Saturated Fat 22g 108%
Cholesterol 198mg 66%
Sodium 1052mg 46%
Total Carbohydrate 73g 27%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 56g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 215mg 17%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 719mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)