Chicken Alfredo Primavera Recipe: A One-Pan Wonder That Actually Delivers

The Chicken Alfredo Primavera Recipe That Changed My Mind About Home-Cooked Alfredo – I have a confession to make. For years, I avoided making chicken alfredo at home.

Chicken Alfredo Primavera

Lumina Liu

This Italian culinary delicacy showcases tender chicken breast and an array of vibrant vegetables, all expertly combined in a rich and creamy Alfredo sauce, accompanied by impeccably cooked bowtie pasta to create a satisfying and comprehensive meal.

4.8 from votes

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 30 Minutes

Total Time 50 Minutes

Course Chicken

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 650 calories kcal

Ingredients

 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 squash cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 head chopped broccoli
• 8-ounce sliced mushrooms
• 1 red pepper
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 16 ounces bowtie pasta
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of each chicken breast with seasoned salt and a pinch of pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
2. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the boiling water with a few generous pinches of kosher salt. Add the pasta and give it a stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board; allow it to rest.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil to the same pan you used to cook the chicken. Add the veggies (minus the garlic) and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir to coat with the oil and butter (refrain from seasoning with salt until the veggies are finished browning). Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
6. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, and reserved pasta water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and allow to simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 650.00 caloriesFat: 38.00 gCarbohydrates: 42.00 gCholesterol: 165.00 mgFiber: 4.00 gProtein: 35.00 gSaturated Fat: 19.00 g

Keyword Chicken Alfredo Primavera, Italian pasta, chicken pasta, creamy pasta, vegetable pasta, alfredo sauce

Pin Now, Cook Later!

Save this tasty recipe on Pinterest for your next meal

Save to Pinterest

I had this notion that restaurant alfredo was somehow magical—some secret chef technique or industrial-strength cream that made it impossibly smooth and rich.

My attempts always seemed to separate or turn gloppy, like a science experiment gone wrong.

But here I am, years later, not only making alfredo at home but adding a bounty of vegetables to it and feeling rather pleased with myself.

The Alfredo Renaissance in My Kitchen

Last Tuesday found me staring into my refrigerator at the weekly farmers market haul that was threatening to mutiny if not used immediately.

You know the situation—the broccoli giving you that judgmental look, mushrooms quietly shrinking in their paper bag, and a yellow squash that had exactly one day left before becoming compost fodder.

This produce standoff coincided with my daughter asking, “What’s for dinner?” for the fourteenth time that day (I counted).

I had chicken breasts in the freezer that I’d miraculously remembered to thaw, and suddenly chicken alfredo primavera seemed like the obvious solution—though I’d never actually made it before.

Primavera, which means “spring” in Italian, is really just a fancy way of saying “I threw whatever vegetables I had into pasta.” And that, my friends, is exactly the kind of cooking philosophy I can get behind.

The One-Pan Method That Changed Everything

What makes this chicken alfredo primavera recipe different from my past failed attempts is the method.

Instead of cooking everything separately (and dirtying every pot in your kitchen), this recipe builds flavor in layers using the same pan.

The chicken seasons the pan, the vegetables absorb that flavor, and the sauce picks up all those beautiful browned bits from the bottom. It’s kitchen efficiency and flavor maximization in one beautiful dance.

And can we talk about the sauce for a moment? This isn’t the gloppy, overly thick alfredo that sits heavy in your stomach.

The addition of a splash of white wine and that magical reserved pasta water creates a silky, lighter sauce that still delivers all the creamy comfort you’re looking for.

Chicken Alfredo Primavera Recipe

A simple and delicious recipe for Chicken alfredo primavera that’s perfect for a quick dinner. It’s a great way to make a tasty and satisfying meal with chicken, pasta, and veggies in a creamy sauce.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 5 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For the vegetables:

• 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the sauce and pasta:

• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 16 ounces bowtie pasta
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

The Method That Makes It Work

1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season both sides of each chicken breast with seasoned salt and a pinch of pepper. I know it seems simple, but don’t skip this step—properly seasoned chicken makes all the difference.
3. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Don’t crowd the pan; work in batches if needed. Nobody wants sad, steamed chicken instead of beautifully browned pieces.
4. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with a few generous pinches of kosher salt until it tastes like the sea (yes, you should actually taste it). This is your one chance to season the pasta itself.
5. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Before draining, scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water—this starchy liquid is liquid gold for your sauce.
6. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and transfer to a cutting board to rest. Don’t slice it immediately or all those juices will run out, and we want them in the chicken, not on your cutting board.

The Vegetable Symphony

1. Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil to the same pan you used for the chicken. This is where the magic begins—all those browned bits from the chicken are flavor bombs waiting to infuse your vegetables.
2. Add all the vegetables except the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Here’s a crucial tip: hold off on salting until the vegetables have browned. Salt draws out moisture, which can prevent proper caramelization.
3. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. You want them to retain some texture.
4. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for just 1 minute. Garlic burns easily and becomes bitter, so it needs much less time than the other vegetables.

Bringing It All Together

1. Now for my favorite part—deglazing the pan with white wine. Pour it in and watch as it sizzles and loosens all those flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Scrape them up with your spoon and let the wine reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing at this point.
2. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, and that reserved pasta water. Let the mixture come to a gentle boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until it reduces slightly. The starch in the pasta water helps bind the sauce, preventing that dreaded separation.
3. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. The residual heat will melt the cheese without risking it becoming grainy.
4. Slice the rested chicken and fold it into the pasta, or arrange it on top if you’re feeling fancy.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Always taste before serving—this is your last chance to make adjustments.
6. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for a fresh finish.

Why This Chicken Alfredo Primavera Recipe Works

Let me be honest—this dish is forgiving in the best possible way. Don’t have yellow squash? Use zucchini.

Only have half the amount of mushrooms? It’ll still be delicious. The method matters more than strict adherence to the ingredient list.

What you shouldn’t skip, though, is building those layers of flavor.

Each step—from seasoning the chicken properly to using the same pan for vegetables to deglazing with wine—contributes to the depth of the final dish. And that splash of pasta water? Non-negotiable.

I’ve made this chicken alfredo primavera recipe three times in the last month, tweaking it slightly each time.

The version I’m sharing today resulted in an empty pan and my normally picky 9-year-old declaring it “actually good,” which in kid-speak translates to a five-star review.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

This chicken alfredo primavera recipe reheats surprisingly well for a cream-based pasta. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When reheating, add a splash of milk to loosen the sauce and warm it gently over low heat or in 30-second bursts in the microwave.

You can also prep components ahead of time: chop all vegetables and store them in the refrigerator, cook and slice the chicken, and even make the entire dish a day ahead.

Just leave it slightly under-sauced and add a bit more cream and pasta water when reheating.

What I love most about this chicken alfredo primavera is that it feels special enough for company but is practical enough for a Wednesday night when you’re trying to use up produce before your next grocery run.

It’s a reminder that good cooking often comes from necessity, a bit of courage, and the willingness to adapt as you go—just like most worthwhile things in life.