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One-Pan Chicken Alfredo Skillet

Name: One-Pan Chicken Alfredo Skillet
Prep time: 33 min
Total time: 33 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: boneless chicken — 454 g; salt — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; olive oil — 27 g; unsalted butter — 41 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 12 g; low-salt chicken broth — 710 g; penne pasta — 227 g; heavy cream — 237 g; nutmeg — 1 g; freshly grated parmesan cheese — 114 g; baby spinach — 473 g; flat-leaf parsley — 7 g

One-Pan Chicken Alfredo Skillet reads richness 6.7, umami 6.5 and salinity 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 33 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.6 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.7 · Umami 6.5 · Salinity 5.1 · Allium 4.5 · Nutty 3.0 · Sweetness 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Funk & Ferment 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Earthy 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.9 · Sourness 0.6 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (14)

boneless chicken — 454 g
salt — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
olive oil — 27 g
unsalted butter — 41 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 12 g
low-salt chicken broth — 710 g
penne pasta — 227 g
heavy cream — 237 g
nutmeg — 1 g
freshly grated parmesan cheese — 114 g
baby spinach — 473 g
flat-leaf parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 33 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 101.4 kcal, 8.7 g protein, 7.2 g fat, 3.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Toss the chicken with the salt and pepper in a bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear until deeply golden on the first side, 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook until golden and just cooked through, 3-4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the penne. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is nearly al dente and has absorbed most of the liquid, 12-14 minutes.
Return the chicken and any collected juices to the skillet along with the cream and nutmeg.
Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4-5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth, then fold in the spinach until just wilted, about 1 minute.
Taste and season with more salt if needed, scatter with parsley, and serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken — Italian-American
Ground Turkey Fried Rice with Peas and Carrots — Chinese-American
Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake — Italian-American
Chicken Fried Rice — Chinese-American
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Skillet — American

Keep reading: what richness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.