Easy Chicken Artichoke Pasta Recipe
Consider the best spinach and artichoke dip you've ever eaten, stir it into pasta, and you'll be pretty darn close to this easy chicken artichoke pasta from recipe developer and registered dietitian Kristen Carli. To make it, she combines pasta with a rich, creamy sauce made with Parmesan, cream cheese, garlic, and heavy cream. Canned artichokes join the party to add a lovely, nutty bite to the pasta. The finishing touch? Oven-roasted chicken breasts layered on top, adding protein and easily making this dish a complete meal.
While Carli's original recipe doesn't call for spinach, you can certainly stir it in to really lean into the spinach and artichoke dip vibes of this dish. Carli recommends blanching it and stirring it in right at the end for a shock of emerald color. You could also make your life even easier by opting for rotisserie chicken instead of the homemade oven-roasted chicken breasts as a delicious shortcut.
Gather the ingredients
To make this dish, you'll begin by simply roasting the chicken breasts, for which, in addition to the chicken itself, you'll need olive oil, salt, and pepper: nothing fancy! Much of the flavor in this dish comes from the pasta sauce.
Speaking of which, to make this creamy sauce, you'll need butter, cream cheese, minced garlic, grated Parmesan, and heavy cream. The sauce coats cooked elbow macaroni; Carli notes she typically opts for whole wheat. "As a dietitian, I'm always looking for ways to increase the nutrition," she says. "Whole grains are a great option."
In this dish in particular, whole wheat pasta also ups the nutty flavor of the dish, mirroring the natural nuttiness of the canned artichoke hearts.
Cook the chicken
The first step of this easy chicken artichoke pasta is to cook the chicken. This will be done in the oven, and frankly, it couldn't be easier. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Arrange the chicken breasts on the baking sheet, and brush them with olive oil. Season each of the chicken breasts with half of the salt and pepper, and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until ready to serve.
See? Easy!
Make the sauce
Next, it's time to make the pasta and the sauce for this easy chicken artichoke pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot, and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the butter, cream cheese, garlic, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and remaining salt and pepper in a saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, heating just until the cheeses melt — no more. You want the sauce to be thick and luscious, and cooking the cheese too much could make it split, turning into a sauce that will look greasy instead of creamy.
Assemble the easy chicken artichoke pasta
You're nearly done! With the pasta, sauce, and chicken all cooked and accounted for, all that's left to do is add the final ingredient: the artichoke hearts. Since they are already cooked, they can simply be drained and added to the warm sauce.
To serve, just combine the pasta and sauce in a large bowl, stirring to combine so that the delicious sauce coats each and every noodle. Slice the chicken into strips, and arrange it over the top. Top with a parsley garnish, if you like, and dinner is ready to be served and enjoyed!
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
- chopped parsley, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the chicken breasts on a foil-wrapped baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream cheese, garlic, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and remaining salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer and stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat. Add the artichoke hearts, and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the pasta and cream sauce. Stir to combine.
- Top with sliced chicken, and, if using, garnish with the chopped parsley, and serve.
| Calories per Serving | 969 |
| Total Fat | 45.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 167.1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 98.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 6.3 g |
| Sodium | 925.5 mg |
| Protein | 41.9 g |
