We really enjoy both the traditional authentic fettuccine alfredo (fettuccine al burro) as well as the Americanized versions that often use cream. While not traditionally used in the true recipe, cream and garlic have made their way into the dish and it is delicious in its own right! Adding some blackened chicken and tender broccoli florets really makes this dish filling and a family favorite perfect for any night of the week.
Looking for more dishes like this? Try out our Creamy Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Shrimp or Spicy Calabrian Chili Alfredo Sauce.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Italian-American Alfredo Sauce Origins
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Make Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
- Equipment
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Variations
- Storage
- Top Tip
- Troubleshooting
- What to serve with Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
- What Wines To Drink with Fettuccine Alfredo
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- 📖 Recipe
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy recipe to bring together
- Perfect dish that the whole family will love for busy weeknights!
- Extremely flavorful
- Customizable to your own tastes
- Incorporates delicious chicken and broccoli in one satisfying dish
Italian-American Alfredo Sauce Origins
The classic Italian fettuccine Alfredo dish, also referred to as fettuccine al burro (fettuccine with butter), is simply three ingredients: fettuccine pasta, butter, and parmigiano reggiano. The creamy Alfredo sauce is achieved by the emulsion of the butter, the parmigiano reggiano and a little of the starchy pasta water. The cheese and butter melt and become a deliciously light and creamy consistency. Looking for a recipe for the traditional fettuccine Alfredo? Here is our version of Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms (no cream).
The dish as it is known today as Fettuccine Alfredo is a dish of Roman origins. But as it gained popularity in America, the dish changed quite a bit. Americans have been exposed to the dish that is generally a heavy cream based garlic sauce often topped with chicken breast or shrimp. If you are familiar with Italian cuisine, then you know that pasta and meats generally are served in two different courses. So the heavy cream Alfredo sauce recipes topped with chicken that are all over the internet are American creations that hardly reflect the classic dish. But it has a place and is a delicious version nonetheless.
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make this recipe for chicken broccoli alfredo recipe with homemade alfredo sauce:
- Broccoli: We blanch the fresh broccoli florets and then add to the sauce at the end. This keeps the broccoli florets from overcooking and gives them a nice bright flavor.
- Chicken: Chicken tenderloins are our go-to for this recipe for bite-sized pieces but chicken breasts also work fine here.
- Blackening Spice: If you don’t make your own (which you can find HERE) try to find a no-salt-added version to season the chicken.
- Kosher Salt: Omit the salt if you are using a store-bought blackening seasoning with added salt.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is used to cook the chicken.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is used to start the sauce.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves, minced, are used in the sauce, This amount of garlic gives the perfect subtle touch to the dish without being overpowering.
- Heavy Cream: The foundation of this creamy sauce version of Alfredo.
- Italian Seasoning: This gives a nice Italian herb flavor to the sauce.
- Black pepper: Just a touch to flavor the sauce
- Parmesan Cheese: Good amounts of authentic Parmiggiano Reggiano brings the sauce together and provides that classic flavor. Freshly grated parmiggiano reggiano is best in this recipe, as the pregrated version often includes non-clumping additives that can make the sauce gritty.
- Pasta: The classic fettuccine is our favorite pasta to use in this dish - try homemade HERE. Any other pasta shape is good here as well.
- Basil: Optional for garnish, but we love this addition to the pasta dish.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Substitutions
Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this easy chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe:
- Blackening Spice: You can use almost anything you want on the chicken, we just love the blackening spice for added flavor.
- Chicken: Omit or replace with shrimp for a delicious seafood Alfredo dish.
How to Make Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
This four-step recipe is quite simple and doesn’t take that much time. The broccoli is blanched, the chicken is seasoned, cooked, and sliced, the sauce is prepared and the pasta is made. Then everything goes into the sauce and you’re ready to eat!
Equipment
Here is what you need to make this dish
- Large pot for the broccoli and pasta
- Large bowl of ice water to shock the broccoli and stop the cooking.
- Large nonstick skillet for the chicken and to make the sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Broccoli
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add a couple of tablespoons of kosher salt. Cut the florets from the head of broccoli. Fill a bowl with cold water and plenty of ice. Add the broccoli florets to the boiling water for 1 ½ to 2 minutes (depending on how soft you like your broccoli). Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer directly into the ice bath. Once cooled (about 3 minutes), remove the broccoli to paper towels or a kitchen towel to dry. Set aside.
Prepare the Chicken
- Season the chicken with a little kosher salt, then season with the blackening seasoning (omit salt if your blackening seasoning has added salt). This is easiest in a zip top bag but you can do it in a small bowl as well. Put the olive oil into a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook for about 2 ½ minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the skillet (without cleaning the skillet) and set aside to cool for 3-4 minutes, then slice into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
Make the Sauce
- Add the butter to the large skillet over medium heat until it melts. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the cream, Italian seasoning, and black pepper and whisk to combine and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan. Taste for seasoning and add some kosher salt if necessary.
Make the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water (about 2 tablespoon of salt for 6-8 qts of water) to a boil over high heat, add the pasta to the boiling pasta water and cook to al dente according to the package directions, or for just a couple of minutes if using fresh homemade pasta. Just before the pasta is done, turn the heat up to medium low on the sauce. Remove about a half cup of pasta cooking water and set aside.
Assemble the Dish and Serve
- As soon as the pasta is done, transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir it in. If the sauce needs thinning, use the reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Remove from the heat and add the broccoli and cooked chicken to the sauce. Gently stir to coat and warm up then serve with basil and additional parmesan cheese as garnish!
Variations
Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:
- Spice it up by using red pepper flakes or calabrian chile paste to the sauce
- You can add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the cream sauce to make it a pink sauce with a bit of tomato taste.
Storage
How to store leftover chicken and broccoli alfredo:
- Store in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to reheat leftover chicken and broccoli alfredo:
- Reheat in a pan over low heat. It may thicken too much so use a bit of water to thin it out. Generally, the creamy sauce will separate a bit when reheated, but it will still taste delicious.
Can you freeze leftover fettuccine alfredo?
- You can, but the flavor and consistency won’t be as good. It will keep for 3 months in the freezer in a covered air-tight container.
Top Tip
If you use whole chicken breasts, cut them lengthwise into 2-3 strips - resembling the tenderloin - so they cook properly.
Troubleshooting
If at any point you feel like the sauce isn’t cohesive or coming together enough, just whisk it well for a couple minutes and it will be fine.
What to serve with Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
Since this is a complete and hearty meal, we suggest something simple like some Italian bread to mop up the sauce or a simple side salad.
What Wines To Drink with Fettuccine Alfredo
This dish really calls for an acidic and mineral forward white wine. Soave or Vermentino from Italy are fantastic white wines and so is Italian or French varieties of Chardonnay. Pinot Grigio also works very well and if you like bubbles, Prosecco pairs well with this sauce too!
FAQ
There are two reasons to blanch the broccoli. First, it will greatly enhance the vibrant green color of the broccoli. Secondly, it cooks the broccoli to the point that you like, and then it is shocked in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. This ensures that the broccoli won’t be over or under cooked.
Quality ingredients are always the most important factor. This dish doesn’t rely heavily on timing so you will have time to pay attention to the sauce along the way. Using freshly grated parmiggiano reggiano (real Parmesan cheese from Italy) will greatly enhance the flavor and texture of the dish. We do not recommend using pre-grated Parmesan because there are often non-clumping additives in the pre-grated versions that may result in a gritty texture in your sauce.
100% personal preference in our opinion. We love both, but fettuccine has more surface area for the sauce to stick to, which is why it is the classic choice. You can use any pasta shape with Alfredo sauce, so use your favorite.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are our favorite appetizers to serve with this recipe:
📖 Recipe
Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- 1 Large pot to blanch the broccoli and cook the pasta
- 1 Large bowl to shock the broccoli in an ice water bath
- 1 Large nonstick skillet to cook the chicken and make the sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small head of broccoli
- 8 chicken tenders about ¾ of a pound
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons blackening seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¾ cup parmiggiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), fresh grated
- 10-12 ounces fettuccine pasta
- Basil leaves optional for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add a couple of tablespoons of kosher salt. Cut the florets from the head of broccoli. Fill a bowl with cold water and plenty of ice. Add the broccoli florets to the boiling water for 1 ½ to 2 minutes (depending on how soft you like your broccoli). Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer directly into the ice bath. Once cooled (about 3 minutes), remove the broccoli to paper towels or a kitchen towel to dry. Set aside.1 small head of broccoli
- Season the chicken with a little kosher salt, then season with the blackening seasoning (omit salt if your blackening seasoning has added salt). This is easiest in a zip top bag but you can do it in a small bowl as well.8 chicken tenders, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 Tablespoons blackening seasoning
- Add the olive oil into a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook for about 2 ½ minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the skillet (without cleaning the skillet) and set aside to cool for 3-4 minutes, then slice into bite sized pieces. Set aside.3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Add the butter to the large skillet over medium heat until it melts. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the cream, Italian seasoning, and black pepper and whisk to combine and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan. Taste for seasoning and add some kosher salt if necessary.6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 garlic cloves, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 ¾ cup parmiggiano reggiano
- Bring a large pot of salted water (about 2 tablespoon of salt for 6-8 qts of water) to a boil over high heat, add the pasta to the boiling pasta water and cook to al dente according to the package directions, or for just a couple of minutes if using fresh homemade pasta. Just before the pasta is done, turn the heat up to medium low on the sauce. Remove about a half cup of pasta cooking water and set aside.10-12 ounces fettuccine pasta
- As soon as the pasta is done, transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir it in. If the sauce needs thinning, use the reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Remove from the heat and add the broccoli and cooked chicken to the sauce. Gently stir to coat and warm up then serve with basil and additional parmesan cheese as garnish!Basil leaves
Nutrition
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