Description
This Blackened Chicken Alfredo recipe combines tender, spice-coated chicken breasts with a rich and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce tossed with perfectly cooked fettuccini. The blackened seasoning provides a smoky, bold flavor that pairs beautifully with the smooth Parmesan-infused sauce. A classic Italian-American comfort dish elevated with a Cajun twist, perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1-2 tablespoon blackened seasoning
Pasta
- 1 pound fettuccini noodles
Sauce
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 2-3 shallots, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 cup fresh blended Parmesan cheese
Blackened Seasoning Blend (optional homemade)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½–1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create thin fillets. Pat them dry with paper towels. Remove the heavy cream from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
- Season the chicken: In a medium bowl, toss the chicken slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and blackened seasoning until evenly coated. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to penetrate.
- Boil water for pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid.
- Cook the pasta: Return the water to a boil, add the fettuccini, and cook for 8-12 minutes until al dente. Do not overcook. Reserve 2-3 cups of pasta water before draining and set pasta aside.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the chicken fillets and cook 4-6 minutes per side until deeply browned and cooked through. Check internal temperature; remove at 160-165°F and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: Reduce skillet heat to medium. Melt butter and add minced shallots. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened and golden. Lower heat to medium-low; add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze the skillet: Pour about 1 cup of the reserved pasta water into the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom to incorporate flavor. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.
- Make Alfredo sauce: Stir in room temperature heavy cream, then add cooked pasta. Toss continuously to emulsify the sauce and encourage thickening. Add additional reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Stir in Parmesan: Remove skillet from heat. Stir in the blended Parmesan cheese until smoothly melted and creamy.
- Serve: Slice the blackened chicken into thin strips and place over the Alfredo pasta. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil if desired and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- For a smoother sauce, blend Parmesan cheese chunks in a high-speed blender to a fluffy consistency before adding.
- Reserve 2-3 cups of pasta water before draining pasta; the starchy water helps thicken and emulsify the sauce.
- Cook pasta until al dente for best texture; it should retain a slight bite.
- Do not toss cooked pasta with olive oil; this prevents sauce from clinging.
- Do not rinse pasta after draining; rinsing removes surface starch necessary for sauce adhesion and cools pasta.
- To deepen Cajun flavor, add up to 1 tablespoon blackened seasoning to sauce along with minced garlic.
- This recipe works well with homemade Cajun or Creole seasoning blends.
- Leftovers should be stored airtight in the refrigerator and consumed within 3-4 days; freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
