If someone were to ask me what my favorite food is, I would whole-heartedly answer with, “PASTA.” Not any particular pasta. Any pasta. In fact, I am always throwing things into a pan and then adding some al dente pasta. And honestly, I can’t ever recall any of my pasta concoctions turning out terribly. This Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo with Chicken is one of my latest pasta concoctions and, my goodness, is it delicious! It has a bright and creamy sauce that is incredibly tasty. Then it’s also tossed with grilled chicken and asparagus. It is literally everything that you need in one pot.
Lately, I have been throwing pesto into just about everything. Pesto is such an amazing supporting cast member. I have thrown it into frittatas, salad dressings, tossed meat and vegetables with it, and spread it onto all kinds of sandwiches. I particularly love pesto in pasta sauces. It lends so much flavor to this sauce. And really, when you think about it, it makes sense. Pesto has so much good stuff packed into it- garlic, Parmesan cheese, basil. When I make pesto (my recipe is linked below), I try to make a double batch. It lasts a good length of time and is great to have in the back of your fridge to add to things. Now that I have thoroughly shared my feelings about pesto, let’s talk about the rest of the ingredients.
Ingredients that you’ll need for Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo with Chicken
Fettuccine– while this is a fettuccine Alfredo recipe, you can substitute with any pasta that you like. I have also really enjoyed this recipe with penne.
Olive Oil & Unsalted Butter
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts– you could also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt & Pepper
Asparagus– you could substitute or add other veggies. Mushrooms or broccoli would be other good veggies for this as well!
Garlic
Half & Half
Cream Cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Basil Pesto (homemade or store-bought)
Here is my Lemon Arugula Pesto. This is the pesto that I used for this recipe and it worked fantastically!
Let me show you how to make this Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo with Chicken 👇🏻
Begin by setting a large pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. When boiling, add 8 oz of fettuccine and cook until al dente while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
To a large, high-walled skillet, add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast (bite-sized pieces) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Cook the chicken until it’s cooked through and has some nice color. Then remove it to a bowl.
Add another 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet. Now add 1 bundles-worth of asparagus (cut the asparagus into 1” pieces. Cook the asparagus until it is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the cooked asparagus to the bowl with the chicken.
Wipe out the skillet, if necessary. Then, over medium heat, add 4 tbsp unsalted butter and melt. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
To the skillet, add 1.5 cups of half & half and 4 oz of softened cream cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the cream cheese has fully melted into the half & half. You may want to use a whisk to make sure that the cream cheese is melted and that there aren’t any lumps.
Next, add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 4 tbsp of basil pesto. Whisk to incorporate and let it gently simmer for a minute or two until the sauce has thickened slightly.
And now you can add the chicken and the asparagus back into the skillet. Toss to coat them in the pesto Alfredo sauce.
Finally, add the cooked fettuccine to the skillet. Toss the pasta to coat it in the sauce. Let the pasta cook in the sauce for one or two minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken upon standing.
To serve the pasta, top with a little extra grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a little milk or half & half into the bowl with the pasta and microwave until warm.
These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.
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Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo with Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 Oz Fettuccine Pasta
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided
- 1.5 Lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 Bundle Asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1.5 Cups Half & Half
- 4 Oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated + more for serving
- 4 Tbsp Basil Pesto
Instructions
- Set a pot of water to boil to cook the fettuccine pasta and cook the pasta to al dente while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- In a large, high-walled skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook the chicken until cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken to bowl.
- Add the other 1/2 tbsp of oil to the skillet along with the asparagus pieces. Cook the asparagus until crisp-tender and then remove the asparagus to the bowl with the chicken.
- Carefully wipe out the skillet if necessary. Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the half & half and the softened cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and smooth. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Now add the grated Parmesan cheese and the pesto sauce. Whisk to incorporate and then let the sauce gently simmer for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Add the chicken and asparagus back to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce. Then add the cooked fettuccine to the skillet and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add some of the starchy pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary. The sauce will continue to thicken upon standing.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and top with a little extra Parmesan cheese to serve. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a little milk or half & half into the bowl with the pasta and microwave until warm.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.