My Recipe Box - Lemon Parmesan Alfredo

  September 2024

After months of trying to get this to perfection, I have nailed it. Most times I found the sauce was too thin. I usually use cooked leftover chicken, either rotisserie or roasted so the meat wasn't getting drenched in flour to thicken the sauce. Eureka moment, I added the flour to the butter to make a roux. Perfect sauce.

I have used this recipe with mushrooms, you could also use shrimp.

Ingredients 

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine pasta - we like Banza, gluten free chickpea

Slices of cooked bacon or pancetta

2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces or leftover chicken

Salt & pepper to taste

Flour for dredging - if using raw chicken. If using cooked chicken add the flour to the butter to make a roux

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chicken broth (or use dry white wine)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 large cloves garlic minced

2 dashes Italian seasoning

1 cup heavy/whipping cream 

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Fresh parsley chopped, to taste optional

Instructions 

Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta, and cook according to package directions.

Prep your chicken and sprinkle it with salt & pepper. Dredge each piece in the flour.

Add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. 

Once the butter is melted and hot, add the chicken to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. If using cooked chicken just make a roux and add the chicken towards the end.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Give it a good stir. 

Add the cream and parmesan cheese to the pan. Let it bubble for a minute or so. 

Add the chicken/cooked chicken back into the pan and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken has cooked and the sauce has further reduced. You may need to turn the heat down if it's bubbling furiously. 

Give the sauce a taste, and if it doesn't have enough lemon juice, add a bit more in. Season with salt & pepper as needed and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. 

Drain pasta and toss with the chicken Alfredo sauce (add in some pasta water prior to draining the pasta if the sauce needs to be thinned a bit).