Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo – from Olive Garden

Seasoned chicken nestled on top of fettuccine noodles tossed with a luscious alfredo sauce.  Serve This Chicken Fettuffine Alfredo from Olive Garden with a breadstick and you will have a restaurant-quality family favorite dinner right at home.

If you love Olive Garden and white Alfredo sauce, this Copycat recipe is just a perfect time- and money-saver for you. I know you’ll love a big pot of creamy fettuccine. 

It is a creamy 30-minute recipe for your weeknight dinner that conveniently recreates the most popular takeout that the whole family loves. It is cheesy, creamy, and very satisfying.  

Why You Should Try This Copycat Recipe

• Comfort food for the entire family that tastes great.
• A great recipe for busy nights as you can make a restaurant version of pasta in 30 minutes with just a few ingredients.
• It is a jackpot for pasta lovers. All the flavors taste great and indulgent.
• It is budget-friendly! A portion of chicken alfredo at the restaurant will be at least $20 without any add-ons, while this recipe easily feeds 4-6 people.

Ingredients Notes

This restaurant-level dish calls for simple ingredients, that are budget-friendly and easy to find. You simply need some pasta, chicken meat, and alfredo sauce (which is basically parmesan, butter, and cream).

• Chicken breasts – boneless skinless. You can also use any leftover rotisserie chicken for this pasta. Although it is best to cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces as breasts are easy to overcook and they become rubbery for this recipe we will only slice the chicken after cooking.
• Seasoning. To sear the chicken I use garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
• Fettuccine noodles. My family loves them more than spaghetti as they are thick and you can get a spoonful of creamy sauce and soft pasta. Use dry pasta or make your own pasta from scratch if you can! It is easier than you think and oh-so-yummy!

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

• Heavy cream, full-fat – the base of our creamy sauce. Alfredo chicken is quite heavy in calories. If you want a lighter meal, use half and half instead of the heavy cream.
• Butter. Both salted and unsalted works. Taste the sauce to adjust and add a little salt if you think it is lacking. Both cream and butter should be at room temperature.
• Fresh garlic, minced. Can swap with garlic powder. If you can use fresh garlic as it is just packed with aromas and flavors. A combination of cream and garlic in home-cooked delicious meals is always great, nothing can convince me otherwise.
• Shredded parmesan cheese (grated parmesan works too, of course) or Pecorino Romano. You can make a creamy sauce with cream cheese as well or any other easy-to-melt cheese for the cheese section at your local store (even Gouda works!). I’ll share a secret: you can always use 2 different types of cheeses to make this sauce extra cheesy – why not?!
• Fresh parsley for garnish, optional but highly recommended.

Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need

• Large skillet to cook chicken and alfredo sauce.
• Large pot to cook pasta
• Serving plates, if eating immediately.
• Optional, meat thermometer to double-check the doneness of the chicken.

How To Make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

1: Cook Seasoned Chicken

1. Season the chicken with garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper.
2. Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. (depending on how thick the chicken is.)  
3. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2: Cook Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook your noodles to al dente, drain, and set aside.
2. Al dente is usually 1-2 minutes earlier than the cooking time from the package directions.
3. Do not rinse the cooked pasta.

3: Better than Olive Garden Alfredo sauce

1. Start prepping the sauce while the pasta cooks.
2. Combine the heavy cream, butter, and garlic in a skillet. Heat over medium to medium-high heat, bringing it just to a simmer.
3. Add the parmesan cheese to the cream mixture slowly, to avoid lumps, stirring constantly while adding cheese.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. 

4: Assemble The Dish And Serve

1. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. 
2. Slice or chop the cooked chicken.
3. Plate the noodles, top with the chicken, and a little parsley for color. Serve immediately.

What To Serve With Chicken Alfredo?

The chicken alfredo tastes the best the same day, freshly cooked.

If you love Olive Garden’s chicken alfredo pasta, you know the staple add-ons and sides for this dish are soup, salad, and some veggies. Broccoli and mushrooms work great in this recipe.

On the side, you can have Zuppa Toscana soup, minestrone, or garden salad.

Storage

Before storing this easy pasta dinner, always let the dish cool completely.

Store chicken fettuccine leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave with a splash of water.

If making ahead it is best to only make the sauce and the chicken and boil pasta right before serving.

You can also freeze the chicken with alfredo sauce without pasta for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat over the stovetop with a little bit of milk. Cook pasta and toss together.

If you already mixed everything together, do not freeze. Pasta doesn’t do well after thawing.

Substitutions And Variations for this Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo from Olive Garden

• This can be made with any pasta you have on hand. I think linguine, tagliatelle, and penne are some of the best options.
• Make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes or sliced chili for garnish.
• The chicken can be omitted if desired or swapped with another protein, shrimp will work amazingly if you love seafood pasta.
• Short on time? Use canned sauce!
• You can make lightly breaded chicken breasts for this recipe too.
• Dry white wine is an amazing ingredient in the pasta sauce and has a good taste.

Tips and Tricks To Make The Best Chicken Alfredo Pasta

• The sauce can be doubled for dipping breadsticks. I have a yummy recipe for Olive Garden breadsticks too.
• Let the cooked chicken rest before slicing it. You can also pound it before cooking to make breasts more tender. Chicken thighs or tenderloins will be softer, so you can use them instead too.
• Do not discard pan drippings from cooking chicken. Add them to the pasta dish, they have tons of flavors.
• You can sear chicken with some olive oil or garlic butter on medium-low heat.
• A pro tip for cooking flavorful pasta is to cook it in chicken broth instead of just salted water.
• If the sauce is too thick add more milk or leftover pasta water to thin it. I also do not use any flour in the Alfredo sauce because flour is a thickener and Alfredo gets really thick without it.

Popular Questions

Can I Make Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo With Chicken In A Slow Cooker?

You can use your crock pot to make copycat chicken alfredo pasta. Load chicken, seasoning, and cheese in the pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

30 minutes before the end of cooking, stir in heavy cream. Cook the pasta in a pot. Add pasta to the chicken alfredo and serve.

Is Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo Healthy?

The restaurant version of chicken alfredo is high in calories and very high in sodium. Homemade chicken fettuccine alfredo is a healthier meal.

What Is The Difference Between Chicken Alfredo And Chicken Fettuccine?

Alfredo is the name of the white cream-based sauce while fettuccine is a type of long thick pasta. Chicken fettuccine can come either al burro (Italian) – with just butter or with Alfredo sauce.

What Is The Difference Between Alfredo And Carbonara Sauce?

Alfredo sauce is made of parmesan, butter, heavy cream, and garlic, while Carbonara sauce is a classic Italian pasta sauce made of raw eggs, pecorino romano, black pepper, and cured pork (guanciale).

If you love this copycat dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other copycat recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Pasta Recipes

Cream Cheese Pasta

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Rosa Sauce Chicken Penne Pasta

Pesto alla Trapanese

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