Description
A comforting combination of juicy, golden-brown garlic butter chicken bites and rich, creamy parmesan pasta. This dish brings restaurant-level flavor into your kitchen in under 40 minutes. Perfect for cozy nights or casual dinner guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Bites:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (for topping)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
For the Creamy Parmesan Pasta:
- 8 oz pasta (elbows, penne, or shells)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (warmed)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
- Reserved pasta water (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook pasta until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the water before draining.
- In a large skillet, melt butter and sear chicken on medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking. Remove and keep warm.
- In a saucepan, melt butter, sauté garlic, then whisk in flour to make a roux.
- Slowly whisk in warm milk and cream. Simmer 3–4 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water if needed.
- Plate pasta, top with garlic butter chicken bites. Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan.