Chicken Alfredo Primavera

Name: Chicken Alfredo Primavera
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 3 tbsp olive oil; 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 summer squash, cubed; 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets; 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced; 1 red bell pepper, sliced; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes; 0.5 cup dry white wine; 0.5 cup whole milk; 0.5 cup heavy cream; 1 cup parmesan, freshly grated; 1 lb bowtie or penne pasta; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

From the kitchen of Carly

Italian-American comfort with a vegetable conscience. Pan-seared chicken, cream-and-parmesan sauce, plus broccoli, mushrooms, and squash for the kind of pasta you can serve on a Tuesday and feel virtuous about. Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. Alfredo always wants more loosening at the end.

Cream, wine, and a skillet's worth of summer vegetables carry this one. The secret is timing: sear the chicken first so it stays juicy, then build the sauce in the same pan, scraping up the browned bits. Four-ingredient cream sauce that tastes better than it has any right to, stretched with pasta water so it clings to the noodles instead of pooling on the plate.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

4 servings

2 tbspunsalted butter
3 tbspolive oil
4boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tspkosher salt
1summer squash, cubed
1 small headbroccoli, cut into florets
8 ozcremini mushrooms, sliced
1red bell pepper, sliced
1yellow onion, chopped
3 clovesgarlic, minced
1/2 tspred pepper flakes
1/2 cupdry white wine
1/2 cupwhole milk
1/2 cupheavy cream
1 cupparmesan, freshly grated
1 lbbowtie or penne pasta
2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously, like a mild broth.
Heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
Pat the chicken breasts dry, season both sides with salt and pepper. Sear 5 to 7 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through (165°F internal). Move to a cutting board.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente, per the package time. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
Turn the skillet down to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp each of butter and olive oil.
Add the squash, broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and start to brown. Don't salt yet.
Stir in the garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute more.
Pour in the white wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan and let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the milk, heavy cream, and the reserved pasta water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes until lightly thickened.
Pull off the heat. Stir in the parmesan and the drained pasta. Toss until everything is coated.
Slice the chicken on the bias. Plate the pasta, top with chicken slices, scatter parsley if you have it. Extra parmesan at the table.

Tips from the kitchen

Dry your chicken with paper towels before searing. Moisture is the enemy of a good crust, and a good crust is where the flavor lives.
Don't salt the raw vegetables when you add them to the pan. Salt draws out moisture and they'll steam instead of brown. Wait until after the garlic goes in.
Reserve the pasta water before you drain. That starchy water is what transforms a thin cream sauce into something that actually coats the noodles and tastes like it belongs together.

Variations

Skip the chicken and double the vegetables for a vegetarian version. Cremini mushrooms get meaty when they brown hard, and the parmesan does the heavy lifting.
Swap in asparagus and peas instead of summer squash and broccoli. Spring version, same 45 minutes.
Use shrimp instead of chicken: 1 to 1.5 lbs, peeled and deveined. Sear 2 minutes per side, then proceed exactly as written. Lighter, faster, different mood.

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of milk or water to loosen the sauce back up. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate.

Substitutions

heavy cream to half-and-half or full-fat Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt cuts the richness; off-heat to prevent splitting. Half-and-half works straight in.
chicken breasts to shrimp or sliced Italian sausage. Shrimp cooks in 3 minutes total. Sausage browns first, then the veggies go in the same fat.
white wine to extra chicken stock + 1 tsp lemon juice. The lemon adds the acid the wine would have. Slightly less complex but works for kid-friendly versions.

Pairs well with: A simple Caesar or arugula salad with lemon, Garlic bread or warm focaccia, A glass of pinot grigio or chardonnay