Recipe: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Add vibrant color to this dish by choosing a red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced. (Stacey Little / Southern Bite)
If I were to have a signature dish, this Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo would certainly be in the top five. It’s garlicky and creamy with tons of great flavor. I’ve been making this exact version for years – way before Heather and I got married.
It’s one of those dishes that everyone requests. Folks are always asking me to make it. The truth is, though, while it takes a little prep work, it’s pretty dang easy – even the decadent homemade Alfredo sauce.
Let’s chat about a few of these ingredients.
Red bell pepper: When it comes to the pepper, I opt for a red bell pepper. They’re sweeter and a bit milder than the green bell peppers and complement the dish a bit better to me. Did you know that red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers are all the same thing? Yep. They’re all from the same plant. The color is determined by how long they stay on the plant. They start green and progress through the colors, getting milder and sweeter as they get redder. The colored ones are a little more expensive because they require more care since they’re on the plant longer. Will green ones work? You bet. But the flavor will be a little different.
Parmesan cheese: Nothing fancy here, just the plain ol’ grated Parmesan that comes in the little green canister. Feel free to buy a fancy brand if you want, but grated is what you need so it will melt into the sauce quickly. Feeling industrious? Grate your own using a microplane. That’s just a lot of work … but you do you, boo.
Garlic: Of all the kitchen chores, mincing garlic is one of my least favorite tasks. It’s sticky and makes your fingers smell. But my love for fresh garlic requires it. Don’t settle for the jarred stuff. It just doesn’t taste the same. Now, as for those garlicky fingers, wash them and rub them on some stainless steel (like your sink) and that will rid you of the garlic smell.
When it comes to cooking that garlic, you want to cook it just until it’s fragrant. Garlic burns easily and will leave your dish with a bitter flavor. One or two minutes on the heat is plenty to get it cooked through before you head to your next step.
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 to 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch cubes (about 3 breasts)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 oz. fettuccine
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
- Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onion and red pepper to the skillet.
- Add more oil if necessary.
- Cook until the onion is translucent and the peppers are tender.
- Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic; it will get bitter.
- Add chicken back to pan with onions, peppers and garlic.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
- To make the sauce, combine the heavy cream and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add Parmesan cheese and whisk until combined.
- Stir frequently to prevent the sauce from scorching.
- Once the mixture has reached a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer and allow it to thicken.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, add the chicken and vegetables to the pasta and ladle the sauce over it all.
This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out ”The Southern Bite Cookbook.”