Description
This Chicken Parmesan Penne features golden pan-seared chicken cutlets served over tender penne pasta tossed in a silky garlic Parmesan cream sauce. It’s a comforting restaurant-style dinner made easily at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin cutlets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz penne pasta, cooked al dente
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain.
- In a shallow dish, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Dredge each chicken cutlet in the seasoned flour and shake off excess.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear chicken for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to 74°C (165°F).
- Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and melt butter in the same skillet.
- Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, scraping up browned bits from the pan.
- Simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove skillet from the heat.
- Whisk in Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
- Add cooked penne and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Slice the chicken cutlets.
- Arrange sliced chicken over the pasta.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Freshly grated Parmesan melts much more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese. Reserve the pasta water before draining, as it helps create a glossy, restaurant-quality sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 670
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 760mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 165mg