We all have those days that call for a comforting, decadent bowl of pasta to round things off. When we’re after a meal that is deeply satisfying yet refreshingly straightforward, this is the one we turn to. We present our ultimate Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe. Leave behind any thoughts of complex recipes or long ingredient lists; this dish is all about delivering sensational flavour with very little effort. With just a handful of kitchen essentials, we can create a rich, velvety, and intensely savoury meal that the entire family is sure to love. It’s a wonderfully cosy dish, perfect for a relaxing evening or as a delicious and **quick pasta lunch**. We have refined this recipe to make sure the garlic is aromatic without being overwhelming, and the sauce is wonderfully creamy without feeling heavy. Get ready to meet your new favourite weeknight staple.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A Truly Luxurious Flavour: The sauce is a sublime combination of fragrant garlic, savoury chicken stock, rich double cream, and sharp Parmesan. It beautifully coats each piece of pasta in a velvety layer of deliciousness that is utterly irresistible.
• On the Table in Under 30 Minutes: This is a fantastic **one pot pasta** marvel! By cooking the pasta right in the sauce, we not only minimise the washing up but also ensure the pasta soaks up all that incredible flavour from the start. It’s ideal for those busy evenings.
• Made with Simple Staples: There’s no need for a special shopping trip to make this delightful meal. We rely on common pantry and fridge ingredients like pasta, chicken, garlic, and cream to craft something truly magnificent. This is comfort food at its most convenient.
• Wonderfully Versatile: Consider this recipe your perfect starting point. It’s easy to adapt by swapping the chicken for prawns, wilting in some spinach at the end, or adding sun-dried tomatoes for a burst of vibrant flavour. We have plenty of suggestions for you below!

Ingredients

• 400g dried linguine or fettuccine
• 2 large chicken breasts (about 500g), diced into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced (we do love it garlicky!)
• 750ml low-sodium chicken stock
• 250ml double cream
• 80g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, with extra to serve
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a hint of warmth)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• A small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped finely
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the Chicken: Start by patting the diced chicken dry with a paper towel, then season it well with salt and pepper. Warm the olive oil in a large, deep pan or a Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning it now and then, until it’s lovely and golden and cooked all the way through. It’s best not to crowd the pan, so work in batches if you need to. Once cooked, lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate.
2. Sauté the Aromatics: Turn the heat down to medium and add the finely chopped onion to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until it has softened and turned translucent. Next, add the minced garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes if you’re using them. Continue to cook for another minute until the garlic releases its beautiful aroma. Take care not to let it burn, as that would make it taste bitter. This step is key to building the flavour for our **garlic pasta recipe**.
3. Make the Creamy Base: Pour the chicken stock into the pan. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape up any tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan—this is where so much flavour is hiding! Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer. Once it’s simmering, pour in the double cream and stir until the sauce is completely smooth and combined.
4. Cook the Pasta in the Sauce: Now, add the uncooked pasta directly to the simmering sauce. Nudge it down gently to make sure it’s mostly covered by the liquid. Let the sauce come back to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, pop a lid on the pan, and allow it to cook for around 10-12 minutes, or as per your pasta’s packet instructions. It’s a good idea to give it a stir every few minutes to stop it from sticking. The pasta will absorb the delicious sauce as it cooks, and its starches will help to naturally thicken everything up.
5. Bring It All Together: When the pasta is cooked al dente (with a slight bite), reduce the heat to low. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, along with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley. Stir everything together gently until the cheese has melted into the sauce, creating a wonderful, glossy coating for the pasta. This is where you’ll see the magic of our **creamy garlic pasta** come to life.
6. Finishing Touches and Serving: Take the pan off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice, which will beautifully brighten all the rich flavours. Give it a final taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Serve straight away in warm bowls, finished with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh parsley.

Top Tips for Success

To ensure this is the most delicious **cream sauce pasta** you’ve ever created, we’ve compiled a few handy tips. Firstly, we always recommend using a block of Parmesan and grating it yourself. Pre-grated cheeses can contain additives that stop them from melting properly, which can lead to a grainy texture. Secondly, be generous with the garlic! Its punchy flavour is softened by the cream and pasta, so using 6-8 cloves gives a wonderfully robust yet balanced taste. Lastly, watch your pasta as it cooks. If the sauce seems to be getting too thick before the pasta is done, just add a little splash of extra chicken stock or hot water to loosen it to the perfect consistency.

Variations and Customisations

One of the things we adore about this recipe is its flexibility. Here are a few of our favourite ways to change it up:

• Make it Vegetarian: Simply leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock instead. For a hearty alternative, sauté some sliced mushrooms until golden brown before you add the onions and garlic.
• Add Your Greens: A couple of large handfuls of fresh spinach stirred in right at the end will wilt down into the sauce in a minute or two, adding extra nutrients and a lovely splash of colour.
• A Seafood Twist: Replace the chicken with raw king prawns. Add them to the pan during the final 3-4 minutes of the pasta’s cooking time, just long enough for them to turn pink.
• Add a Touch of Bacon: For a deeper, smoky flavour, fry some chopped bacon or pancetta until it’s crispy before you begin. You can then crumble this over the finished dish. If you enjoy the chicken and bacon combination, our Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders are another brilliant choice!
• Mediterranean Flavours: Introduce a tablespoon of sun-dried tomato purée along with the garlic, or stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes and black olives when you add the chicken back to the pan.

This dish is a guaranteed winner, offering a level of deep, satisfying comfort that’s on par with our beloved Cheeseburger Lasagna Recipe. It’s proof that a truly special meal doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Frequently Asked Questions

We are completely confident that this Creamy Garlic Pasta Recipe will quickly earn a spot in your regular meal rotation. It’s the ideal solution for those “What’s for dinner?” evenings, offering a mouth-watering and comforting meal without any stress. The blend of tender chicken, a rich garlic cream sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta is a true delight.

Now, we’d love to hear from you! How did you get on with our recipe? Did you add a personal touch? Did it go down a treat with the family? Please leave a comment below to let us know. And if this delicious savoury meal has you thinking about what’s for pudding, why not round things off with our wonderfully simple and tasty Biscoff Truffles for a perfect sweet finish?

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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g dried linguine or fettuccine
• 2 large chicken breasts (about 500g), diced into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced (we do love it garlicky!)
• 750ml low-sodium chicken stock
• 250ml double cream
• 80g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, with extra to serve
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a hint of warmth)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• A small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped finely
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown the Chicken: Start by patting the diced chicken dry with a paper towel, then season it well with salt and pepper. Warm the olive oil in a large, deep pan or a Dutch oven over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning it now and then, until it’s lovely and golden and cooked all the way through. It’s best not to crowd the pan, so work in batches if you need to. Once cooked, lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate.
2. Sauté the Aromatics: Turn the heat down to medium and add the finely chopped onion to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until it has softened and turned translucent. Next, add the minced garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes if you’re using them. Continue to cook for another minute until the garlic releases its beautiful aroma. Take care not to let it burn, as that would make it taste bitter. This step is key to building the flavour for our garlic pasta recipe.
3. Make the Creamy Base: Pour the chicken stock into the pan. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape up any tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan—this is where so much flavour is hiding! Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer. Once it’s simmering, pour in the double cream and stir until the sauce is completely smooth and combined.
4. Cook the Pasta in the Sauce: Now, add the uncooked pasta directly to the simmering sauce. Nudge it down gently to make sure it’s mostly covered by the liquid. Let the sauce come back to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, pop a lid on the pan, and allow it to cook for around 10-12 minutes, or as per your pasta’s packet instructions. It’s a good idea to give it a stir every few minutes to stop it from sticking. The pasta will absorb the delicious sauce as it cooks, and its starches will help to naturally thicken everything up.
5. Bring It All Together: When the pasta is cooked al dente (with a slight bite), reduce the heat to low. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, along with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley. Stir everything together gently until the cheese has melted into the sauce, creating a wonderful, glossy coating for the pasta. This is where you’ll see the magic of our creamy garlic pasta come to life.
6. Finishing Touches and Serving: Take the pan off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice, which will beautifully brighten all the rich flavours. Give it a final taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Serve straight away in warm bowls, finished with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh parsley.

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