Serves: 4
Time: ~40 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
Creamy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes — adjust to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup fresh spinach, optional
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, optional
- 1 tbsp butter
Pasta
- 12 oz (340 g) fettuccine
- Salt for pasta water
- ½–1 cup reserved pasta water
🔥 Step 1 — Season & sear the chicken
Pat the chicken very dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Sear chicken for about 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply golden. It doesn’t need to be completely cooked through yet.
Remove chicken to a plate.
Tip: Don’t move the chicken around while it’s searing. That golden crust is a huge part of the flavor.
🧄 Step 2 — Build the sauce
Reduce heat to medium.
Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the same skillet. Cook for 30–60 seconds.
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
Bring to a gentle simmer — don’t boil aggressively.
🧀 Step 3 — Make it ridiculously creamy
Lower the heat.
Gradually stir in the freshly grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.
Add 1 tablespoon butter.
If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
For an even more Tuscan-style sauce, stir in the spinach and let it wilt.
🍗 Step 4 — Finish the chicken
Return the chicken and its juices to the skillet.
Cover loosely and simmer on low for 5–8 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C internally.
Spoon that sauce over the chicken repeatedly while it cooks.
🍝 Step 5 — Pasta
Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in generously salted water until just al dente.
Reserve about 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
Add the pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce.
Toss for 1–2 minutes.
Add pasta water a little at a time until the sauce becomes silky and coats every strand.
✨ The finishing touch
Slice the chicken and arrange it over the pasta.
Finish with:
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh basil
- Extra Parmesan
- A few sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- Tiny pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Small drizzle of good olive oil
⭐ My secret for making it taste like the photo
Use freshly grated Parmesan, not pre-shredded Parmesan, and don’t skimp on browning the chicken. Most importantly, finish the pasta in the sauce rather than simply pouring sauce over cooked pasta.
The combination of browned chicken + garlic + sun-dried tomato + Parmesan + cream + pasta starch is what gives you that glossy restaurant-quality sauce.
Optional upgrade: Add ¼ cup dry white wine after sautéing the garlic/tomatoes, reduce by half, then add the chicken broth. It gives the sauce a much deeper flavor.
