Description
Quick and comforting chicken linguine in a rich butter-and-cream sauce with garlic and a hint of heat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 oz linguine pasta
- 4–5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic and chop parsley.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Reserve ½ to 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Brown the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt half the butter (3 tbsp). Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Sauté the garlic: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant — do not let the garlic burn.
- Make the sauce: Reduce heat to low. Add the remaining butter and the heavy cream. Stir continuously until the butter melts and the sauce becomes smooth and slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes.
- Combine: Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the cooked linguine and toss to coat. If the sauce seems too thick, add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Finish: Stir in chopped parsley and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
For a lighter sauce, swap half-and-half for some of the heavy cream. For vegetarian, try plant-based alternatives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: chicken linguine, cowboy butter chicken, easy pasta dinner