Creamy Paprika Chicken Pasta
Creamy, extra delicious Paprika Chicken Pasta! Seasoned and seared chicken breasts served with an easy, mostly-pantry-staple pasta recipe! You can serve this with steamed veggies for a quick weeknight-friendly meal!
Servings: 5
Calories: 540kcal
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (tenders or thighs)
- ½ teaspoon paprika smoked or hot
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pasta and Sauce:
- 10 ounces short-cut pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup yellow onions finely chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika see notes
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika see notes
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Parsley for topping
Instructions
- PASTA: Bring a large stock pot of water to boil. Salt generously and cook the pasta 1 minute less than package directions; save ½ cup of pasta water. Drain and set pasta aside for now.
- CHICKEN: Season the chicken with the seasonings listed. Heat a casserole pan (or saute pan) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and cook the chicken for roughly 6-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to 165ºF. Remove the chicken to a plate; keep warm. Once cooled, you can slice it if you’d like!
- SAUCE: Over medium heat, add butter and onions to the same pan and cook for 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and both the paprikas and give it 30 seconds, stirring as needed so the garlic doesn’t burn. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and chicken stock and using a wooden spoon help scrape up any stuck on bits to deglaze the pan. Add half and half; when simmering, whisk the sour cream in a bowl with a fork. Add a tablespoon of the warm sauce from the pan to the sour cream as you whisk; do this two more times. Pour sour cream into saute pan; add the parmesan cheese and stir. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Pour a splash of pasta water if the sauce gets thick. Taste and adjust with additional salt as desired.
- SERVE: Add the chicken to the serving dish and serve family style, or serve pasta in bowls and top with chicken and serve with your favorite veggies!
Notes
- paprika: If you don’t have hot paprika, you can use ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika and a ¼ teaspoon cayenne in place! You can also use 1 full teaspoon of smoked paprika or use sweet paprika. I typically prefer 1 teaspoon hot paprika, and ½ teaspoon each smoked and sweet!
- gimme more veggies: You can bulk up this recipe by adding 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach 30-45 seconds before you add the pasta. Just let the spinach wilt into the sauce before adding the pasta! You can also add in roasted zucchini/eggplant chunks or serve those on the side.
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g
