Better Than Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo
Make Olive Garden’s Chicken Alfredo at home with just a handful of ingredients in under 30 minutes. It’s creamy, decadent, garlicky, and, dare I say, even better than the popular restaurant version!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast or cutlets, pounded to even thickness
- 1 pound fettuccini
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 cups half-and-half
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan freshly grated
- salt and pepper
- cajun seasoning optional
- olive oil
Instructions
- Use a large pot to boil the fettuccini according to the package instructions while you prepare the alfredo sauce. Be sure to salt your water.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, rubbing on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, and cajun seasoning if using.
- In a large pan over medium-low heat, add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook about 5 minutes, flip, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 more minutes or until cooked through. Set aside.
- In the same pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add in the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits in the pan.
- Pour in the half-and-half, heavy cream, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Stir to incorporate, and slowly bring it to a simmer until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth, allowing the cheese to melt. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce until it’s well coated. Don't worry if the sauce seems a little thin; the starch from the pasta will quickly thicken it. Top with the sliced chicken, sprinkle with parsley (optional), and serve immediately.
Notes
Wait to salt the sauce - before adding more salt, wait until your Parmesan cheese has been added, as the cheese contains a high sodium content.
Don't rinse your pasta - the starch on the pasta will help to thicken the sauce even more so don't rinse it off.
Eat immediately - alfredo sauce is best served immediately as it thickens up quickly.