This classic Italian pasta recipe starts with seasoned and sauteed chicken and is tossed with a from-scratch alfredo sauce. It ends up being much lighter than a store-bought sauce and goes perfect with al dente penne pasta. YUM!
Cut chicken into cutlets that are a few inches long and an even 1/2-inch thickness. Add Italian seasoning, olive oil, salt, and pepper to bowl with chicken and stir to coat. Let marinate for a few minutes.
Cook penne according to package in salted water until it is al dente. Drain and reserve some pasta water for later.
Add chicken to a large skillet over medium heat. If skillet is really dry add an extra drizzle of oil. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side.
Remove chicken from the skillet once it is just cooked through and wipe out skillet to remove any large pieces but don’t wash it. Add butter for alfredo sauce along with chopped garlic. Cook until butter is melted and garlic softens, maybe 1-2 minutes. Then add cream and bring to a slight simmer. Turn heat down to low and continue to simmer the sauce until it thickens and coats a spoon, maybe 4-5 minutes. Add parmesan after the sauce thickens.
Once sauce has thickened, add in cooked penne pasta and toss to coat. If the sauce seems very thick, add reserved pasta water by the 1/4 cup to thin the sauce. Stir in cooked chicken and stir to combine.
Divide alfredo penne between bowls and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.