• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
30 minutes
4.6 from 27 votes
35 Comments

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 1448
  • 324
by: Joanna Cismaru
08.31.19
Updated: 10.03.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake – A simple, no-fuss dinner that you can easily make right at home with very few ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes.

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake in a skillet garnished with parsley

I love simple dinner recipes like this, I literally put this together in only 30 minutes. This is perfect, especially after a long hard day at work, and you come home and you’re all tired and don’t feel like slaving in the kitchen for a couple hours.

All you really need is butter, flour, and Parmesan cheese, ingredients that I always have in the house. I wanted to make this a bit heartier though so that we wouldn’t be hungry half hour after eating it, so I added some chicken.

I know you all must have at least some taste buds that are similar to mine, I mean that’s why you you come to my blog right? Well then we can all agree that pasta is almost always the answer to “what should we eat tonight?”. I say almost because sometimes you just want to switch things up a little, and a pasta bake is the perfect way to do just that.

pasta with alfredo sauce and topped with cheese in a skillet ready to be baked

Can I Use Other Types Of Pasta?

This dish will work with many other types of pasta if you have some in the pantry you’d like to use up. The Alfredo sauce is just so delicious, it’s good with anything! I like to use a shaped pasta so that there’s lots of ridges for the sauce to cling to, I especially recommend something smaller like penne, fusilli, elbow, or bowtie.

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Pasta – I used elbow macaroni noodles today but feel free to use whichever kind you’d prefer, but I highly recommend it be a small shaped noodle.
  • Butter – Unsalted as to control the sodium content of our dish.
  • Chicken – Boneless and skinless chicken breast, cubed up into bite sized pieces.
  • Cheese – Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.
  • Flour –  Just a bit of all purpose to help thicken up our sauce, if you’re gluten free feel free to use corn starch instead.
  • Cream – We’re using heavy cream to form a beautiful creamy sauce.
  • Pasta water – The starch in the pasta water will help our sauce thicken, be sure to grab some before draining the pasta.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
  • Parsley – Minced up nice and fine and sprinkled liberally over top.

Why Do We Use Pasta Water?

Pasta water will add flavor and seasoning to your dish (you’re always making sure to salt your pasta water right?). It will also help thicken our sauce and ensure the sauce sticks to our pasta. It will also add a sheen to your sauce, so be sure to always reserve a little bit! This is the secret to all great pasta sauces.

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta with a fork picking up some pasta

How To Make Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

  1. Prepare the pasta: Turn your broiler on. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  2. Cook the chicken: In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add chicken pieces and cook just until chicken is no longer pink and is beginning to slightly brown. Remove chicken from skillet.
  3. Form the sauce: In the same skillet, add remaining butter and melt it. Pour the heavy cream in the skillet and whisk it. Add the flour and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and add the Parmesan cheese. Continue whisking. By now the sauce should be pretty thick, use some of the pasta water to thin it out a bit. Add chicken and pasta to skillet and toss well.
  4. Finish the dish: Top with mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and gets golden brown, checking often to make sure the top doesn’t burn. Garnish with parsley and more Parmesan cheese if preferred.

Some Tips

  1. The sauce will seem thin when you start to mix in the pasta. Don’t worry, just keep tossing. The starches from the pasta will mix into the sauce to give the the perfect consistency. If you use flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce, it may come out with a gluey consistency once it’s cooled down a bit.
  2. You can add a few tsp of Italian seasoning, a pinch of nutmeg or red pepper flakes to add some flare to this sauce. Feel free to get creative with seasoning.
  3. You can adjust the ratio of cream to milk in this recipe to suit how rich you’d like it to be.

How to Serve

This rich, creamy dish pairs beautifully with light and simple sides like salads and roasted veggies. This pasta bake is completely satisfying on its own so if you’d rather just curl up on the couch with a big old bowl, I won’t stop you.

  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Greek Salad
  • Mediterranean Couscous Salad
  • Kale And Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
  • Tabbouleh Salad
  • Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies
Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake fresh right out of the oven

Leftovers

You can store this recipe easily in the fridge. In an airtight container it’ll keep for 3 – 5 days just be sure it’s properly cooled before storing. Unfortunately this dish doesn’t freeze well so I recommend either making it day of or a few days before and storing in the fridge.

Craving More Pasta? Try These Delicious Recipes:

  • One Pot Beef Ragu Pasta
  • Creamy Avocado And Spinach Pasta
  • Italian Pasta Salad
  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
  • Chicken Pesto Caprese Pasta
  • Three Cheese Hamburger Helper
  • One Pot Chili Mac And Cheese
  • Cheesy Taco Pasta
  • One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

close up shot of a fork holding up a bite of chicken alfredo pasta bake

Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

4.6 from 27 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 6
Print Pin Rate
Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake – A simple, no-fuss dinner that you can easily make right at home with very few ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes.

Equipment

  • 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 16 oz pasta uncooked, I used elbow macaroni
  • 3 tbsp butter unsalted
  • 1 chicken breast cut into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • parsley for garnish
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Turn your broiler on. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
  • In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add chicken pieces and cook just until chicken is no longer pink and is beginning to slightly brown. Remove chicken from skillet.
  • In the same skillet, add remaining butter and melt it. Pour the heavy cream in the skillet and whisk it. Add the flour and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and add the Parmesan cheese. Continue whisking. By now the sauce should be pretty thick, use some of the pasta water to thin it out a bit. Add chicken and pasta to skillet and toss well. 
  • Top with mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and gets golden brown, checking often to make sure the top doesn’t burn.
  • Garnish with parsley and more Parmesan cheese if preferred.

Recipe Notes

  1. You can store this recipe easily in the fridge. In an airtight container it’ll keep for 3 – 5 days just be sure it’s properly cooled before storing. Unfortunately this dish doesn’t freeze well so I recommend either making it day of or a few days before and storing in the fridge.
  2. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 604kcal (30%)Carbohydrates: 60g (20%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 18g (113%)Cholesterol: 105mg (35%)Sodium: 360mg (16%)Potassium: 294mg (8%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 984IU (20%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 286mg (29%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course:Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine:Italian
Keyword:chicken alfredo, chicken alfredo pasta bake, pasta bake
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

side view shot of cheddar beef skillet pull apart bread
Previous Post
Cheddar Beef Skillet Pull Apart Bread
side view shot of a bowl of mashed potatoes topped with stout meatballs with beer and bbq sauce
Next Post
Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. faith t says

    May 6, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    5 stars
    I loved this recipe SO MUCH! I am a big fan of Chicken Alfredo and I didn’t know how to cook it until I found this recipe 😩. This was so quick and easy I’m most definitely using again. It also tastes delicious, that my family loved it!

    Reply
  2. Betty Quigley says

    February 9, 2020 at 10:53 am

    I want yo make this for my bunco group which is a group of 12 women. Do I just double these ingredients as they like to eat. I was actually thinking of more than double so I would have enough. What are your suggestions

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      February 10, 2020 at 11:34 am

      If you’ll be serving other dishes alongside the pasta, then doubling the recipe should be enough. If this is the only dish, then I’d triple it!

      Reply
  3. Sean Garcia says

    October 7, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    I made this tonight, but cooking for 1 so I cut the recipe in half 2 times. Creamy and cheesy, I loved it. Thank you !!

    Reply
  4. Mike says

    September 4, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for a second time tonight. Another great recipe that is in the rotation. Even my son said “Yep, it’s pretty good.” That is truly high praise (especially with the broccoli I put in there).

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      September 5, 2018 at 11:24 am

      Love it when kids approve!

      Reply
  5. JoyceB says

    July 25, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    I just ran across this recipe today and made it for lunch. Like the previous cooks l added garlic. It was awesome. I will add it to my regular rotation. Served it with seasoned broccoli and buttered garlic knots. Delicious. Thank you for this great dish.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      July 25, 2016 at 4:03 pm

      My pleasure, glad you liked it!

      Reply
  6. Ashley says

    November 8, 2015 at 9:22 am

    4 stars
    What a great easy recipe! I think I am going to cook the chicken with some garlic and add some diced tomato and brocoli to the bake… Gonna give it a go this evening! Can’t wait!

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 8, 2015 at 9:23 am

      Great idea Ashley. Enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Analisse Shannon says

    October 22, 2015 at 3:10 pm

    For the boiling part at the end. What temperature is that suppose to be on? 350 degrees?

    Reply
    • jo says

      October 22, 2015 at 9:43 pm

      Do you mean broiling? I usually turn on the broiler to HIGH and keep it under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown a bit, make sure you watch it because it could burn quickly under the broiler.

      Reply
  8. Rebecca says

    October 15, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    We LOVE this recipe! I didn’t want to run to the store, so substituted evaporated milk for the heavy cream and it worked out great! I sprinkled fresh snipped basil at serving time–what a hit! Thank you for this meal idea and recipe! I tried to rate it all 5 stars , but not sure the graphics are working right for me!

    Reply
    • jo says

      October 16, 2015 at 9:20 am

      Thank you Rebecca, so glad you guys liked this recipe!

      Reply
  9. Terri says

    June 26, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    I was just writing down the needed ingredients and realized there is no garlic listed!! Is this correct?

    Reply
    • jo says

      June 26, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      I didn’t add any garlic to this but feel free to add a couple cloves, it would be great!

      Reply
      • Terri says

        June 26, 2015 at 10:48 pm

        Thanks, was just surprised and thought I better double check. Making it tonite, adding a bit of garlic….so we shall see! 😉

      • Terri says

        December 18, 2015 at 3:49 am

        I was just checking for this recipe again….realized I never let you know that it turned out delicious!! I did add some garlic, and some crushed garlic croutons to the top as well before broiling. It received rave reviews, so hats off to you!!

      • jo says

        December 18, 2015 at 8:34 am

        So glad you guys liked it!!

  10. Kristin says

    April 10, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    This looks great! I want to make this to freeze and reheat. Do you have instructions for reheating?

    Reply
    • jo says

      April 10, 2015 at 1:59 pm

      I would just reheat it in the microwave. 🙂

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        April 10, 2015 at 4:48 pm

        I meant can I make the recipe up to a certain point, freeze, then take out of the freezer to cook? Or do you suggest making the recipe all the way through and reheating at 350? I Just don’t want it to dry out!

      • jo says

        April 11, 2015 at 7:01 pm

        Oh sorry, I misunderstood your question. That’s a great question actually, I think that’s a great idea actually, to not cook it all the way through, and just freeze it, and when you’re ready to serve, just heat it in the oven at 350, and then for the last couple minutes I would still turn the broiler on to get that nice golden color on top. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂

      • Kristin says

        April 11, 2015 at 8:19 pm

        Great, thank you! I’m making this for a pair of new parents, I bet they’re going to love it.

  11. Ana says

    March 30, 2015 at 9:00 am

    5 stars
    Very nice! What is a broiler though? if i dont have one can i do it on the stove or oven?

    Reply
    • jo says

      March 30, 2015 at 1:18 pm

      Usually most ovens have a BROIL setting, it’s very high heat coming from the top of the oven.

      Reply
  12. Octavia says

    February 15, 2015 at 10:01 am

    Hi! I plan on making this for dinner tonight and I just had 1 question….What do you mean by “heavy cream” in the ingredients? Like what kind of cream do I use?

    Reply
    • jo says

      February 15, 2015 at 3:05 pm

      Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent.

      Reply
  13. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    February 14, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    Craving all of the cheesy deliciousness of this alfredo pasta bake now. Looks divine Jo!

    Reply
    • jo says

      February 14, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      Thanks Thalia!

      Reply
  14. Devan says

    February 13, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    Your website is great! Such a life saver. I made this for dinner and it was great. We don’t eat wheat in our household so I used elbow corn pasta by SamMills and rice flour by Betty Crocker. I used 3 chicken breasts instead of one when I saw it required 16 oz of pasta. My husband likes his meat! Thanks so much for the work you do! All the recipes I’ve tried so far from your site have been a hit!

    Reply
    • jo says

      February 13, 2015 at 3:27 pm

      Thank you so much Devan, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Judy says

    February 9, 2015 at 8:49 am

    This sounds lovely.
    An ordinary whisk or the electric beaters?

    Reply
    • jo says

      February 9, 2015 at 8:57 am

      Just an ordinary whisk Judy.

      Reply
Newer Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Pre-Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Recipes

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet

Salisbury Steak

closeup of beef stew in a dutch oven with a ladle inside.

Beef Stew

overhead shot of zucchini lasagna in a baking dish

Zucchini Lasagna

a white bowl full with american goulash and a fork inside stacked on top of an empty bowl

American Goulash (Chop Suey)

two plate with sloppy joes and buns next to a greens salad

Sloppy Joes

beef barley soup in a white bowl with a spoon inside.

Beef Barley Soup

overhead shot of chicken broccoli and rice casserole in a pot

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

creamy chicken lazone in a skillet garnished with parsley.

Chicken Lazone

Popular Now

a hand dipping a chicken tender in ranch dressing

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

a fork stabbing a garlic butter steak bite in a skillet full of them

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

side view shot of a cinnamon bun with a bite taken out of it on a plate

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls

side view shot of a hand dipping a piece of naan bread into the bowl of chicken tikka masala

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

close up of the layers on the homemade croissant

Homemade Croissants

overhead shot of crusty bread loaf

No Knead Bread

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers

The Best Chicken Salad

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
honey soy chicken in a baking dish fresh out of the oven garnished with parsley.

Asian

freshly baked frittata in a black skillet garnished with roasted tomatoes.

Italian

chili verde with white beans and pork in a white bowl garnished with sour cream and jalapenos.

Mexican

chocolate magic cake slices sprinkled with cocoa powder and garnished with garnish.

Romanian

a bunch of naan on a cutting board garnished with parsley.

Indian

red lentil hummus in a big black bowl garnished with a bit of smoked paprika.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

a whole roast chicken surrounded by potatoes

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!

66674shares
  • 1448
  • 324