Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a popular pasta dish – perfect for lunch or dinner! This creamy Olive Garden chicken pasta features tender, juicy chicken breasts and the tangy taste of parmesan cheese. Simple ingredients loaded with flavor! Make this recipe your pasta of choice for your next weeknight dinner! 

 

Let’s talk about the simplicity of this copycat recipe! It tastes like a gourmet meal, but the cooking process is a breeze!

What I love about making this cooked pasta is that you will love the flavor when it’s cooked fresh – and likely have plenty of leftovers for the next day! 

This means that at the end of cooking, you’ll be able to put your feet up and relax, knowing that you have a couple of meals for everyone to enjoy.

I’m the type of person who can eat pasta for dinner last night and wake up the next day wanting more! 

You won’t find much difference at all between this simple pasta recipe and the one at Olive Garden.

I love to add some red pepper flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder to mine to change up the flavor – but it’s really up to you! 

Easy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Bursting with flavors of garlic and Italian seasoning, this incredibly easy Olive Garden recipe will save you time and keep your taste buds happy. 

It’s a family favorite and the ultimate comfort food, which is always a winning combination! 

What I love about this popular recipe is that it’s topped with delicious alfredo sauce. 

The texture of the sliced chicken paired with the flavorful alfredo sauce is why this is a family favorite! 

Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Anyone who knows me knows that my love for chicken alfredo is unmatched. This pasta dish is creamy, cheesy, and just so darn good! 

Ever since I figured out how to make chicken alfredo Olive Garden™ style, I haven’t stopped making it.

This chicken alfredo pasta recipe not only tastes out of this world but is also so easy to make! 

You’ll need less than 10 minutes of prep time, and the whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes.

If you love this chicken fettuccine alfredo, try my comforting Chicken Alfredo Tortellini Soup next. 

Or, for more satisfying Olive Garden chicken recipes, give my copycat Grilled Chicken Margherita or Chicken Parmigiana a try.

If you’d prefer a different flavor of Olive Garden, check out my copycat Olive Garden Meatballs Parmesan or Olive Garden Lasagna Classico!

Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Ingredient Notes and Substitutions 

• Fettuccine Pasta – Dry fettuccine is what I use in this recipe, but you can use any pasta of your choice.
  
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – Grilling will give you the best flavor! 
  
  I recommend cutting each chicken breast in half lengthwise into cutlets – this will help them cook quickly and more evenly. 
  
  If you prefer dark meat, you can swap chicken breasts with boneless skinless thighs.
  
• Unsalted Butter – Using unsalted butter will give you more control over how much salt is in this chicken alfredo pasta recipe. 
  
  Only have unsalted butter on hand? No worries, you can balance out the recipe by simply omitting the additional salt.
  
• All-Purpose Flour – You’ll use the flour to create the roux that will get your sauce off to a smooth start. 
  
  You can use a fine-mesh sieve to help spread that flour evenly over the butter and garlic and prevent clumping.
  
• Heavy Cream and Whole Milk – These ingredients will give your Olive garden chicken alfredo sauce its rich, creamy consistency.
  
• Freshly Grated Cheese – Use parmesan, or a combination of parmesan and romano. 
  
  Parmesan is known for its tanginess, while romano typically has a sharper and saltier taste. 
  
  Adding fresh parmesan cheese makes a crazy good flavor to the creamy alfredo sauce! 

Tips and Tricks for Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

• Cook Chicken Carefully. Make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165°F. 
  
  You can use a digital meat thermometer to check the temperature. (and if you’re needing to use leftovers, you can add cooked shredded rotisserie chicken as well – or leftover cooked chicken from the night before) 
  
• Prepare Sauce Slowly. The key to getting perfect alfredo sauce is going slowly as you mix the cream and milk into the roux. 
  
  Avoid pouring all the liquid into the pan at once, or you’ll end up with clumps of flour in your sauce.
  
• Reserve Pasta Water. Adding pasta water to your sauce mixture will make your thick, creamy alfredo a little bit thinner. 
  
  But the starchiness of the water will also help give the sauce a great texture. Save some of the water after the pasta cooks. 
  
• Add Optional Garnish. Finish off this chicken fettuccine alfredo by sprinkling some fresh parsley on top. 
  
  This will brighten the flavor a little bit while also leaving you with a beautiful presentation on your plate! 
  
  You can also add other fresh herbs that aren’t listed on the recipe card. Make it your own! 

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

• Large Pot and Strainer for the pasta. 
• Outdoor or Countertop Grill, or a Skillet, depending on how you want to cook your chicken. 

Serving Suggestions

There’s no doubt that this chicken, noodle, and alfredo sauce recipe is delicious as it is, but don’t forget that adding a side of garlic bread is the perfect pairing for busy weeknights. 

If you’re wanting to add a healthy food, consider adding a side salad to the table. (You really can’t go wrong with anything that you pair with this easy recipe!) 

Chicken Alfredo Pasta FAQ

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Other Olive Garden Copycat Recipes

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

Donna Elick

Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a popular restaurant dish that is so easy to make at home! Our copycat tastes better than the Olive Garden recipe!

5 stars from 3 reviews

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Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 28 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Method Stovetop

Servings 4

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces dry fettuccine, or other pasta of choice

For the Chicken

• ▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, (2-3 breasts)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to your preference
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to your preference
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend, divided

For the Alfredo Sauce

• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• ▢ ¾ cup whole milk
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, or a combo of Parmesan and Romano
• ▢ Fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

 

• Boil fettuccine noodles according to package directions in a large pot of heavily salted water. Before draining pasta, reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water.

Chicken

• Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Preheat a grill to 400°F (or a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop).
• Using paper towels, pat chicken breasts completely dry. Drizzle chicken with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
• Cook chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature at the thickest portion of the breast registers 163°F. Transfer chicken from the grill to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Alfredo Sauce

• Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat.
• Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Sprinkle the flour over the butter and garlic to create a roux; cook for 1 minute, until bubbly.
• Slowly and gradually, whisk the cream and milk into the roux, until a smooth sauce forms. **Do not pour all of the liquid into the pan at one time or the sauce will have clumps of flour in it.
• Increase burner heat to bring sauce to a low simmer. Add remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and then the freshly grated cheese, one handful at a time, stirring continuously until smooth. Remove pan from the heat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
• Toss cooked fettuccine with the Alfredo sauce, using the reserved pasta water to loosen the mixture and thin the sauce as needed.
• Serve sliced chicken breasts over the Alfredo pasta with a garnish of chopped parsley.

Donna’s Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Chicken breasts will cook more evenly and quickly on the grill if they are first sliced in half to create 2 thinner pieces.

Instead of grilling, the chicken can be cooked in a skillet over medium-high heat until the internal temp reaches 163°F.

Alfredo sauce is thick and rich. I like to thin it with pasta water – the pasta water works well because it is already salted and it has the starches from the pasta, so it maintains a good texture for the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 748cal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 904mg | Sugar: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 367mg | Iron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

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Originally published December 2022, updated and republished October 2024

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