Gluten Free Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Fettuccine Alfredo was always my go-to meal when ordering out as a kid. The creamier, the better. When I had to start a gluten-free diet, I (like many others) thought that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my favorite pasta dishes any longer— especially considering that most Alfredo sauces in restaurants contain flour. Well, I’m happy to tell you that this dish will fool many! With the fresh garlic and parsley on the grilled chicken, to the broccoli in a creamy Alfredo sauce, this recipe is full of flavor. All it takes are a few modifications from a traditional Alfredo recipe to make it gluten-free. Let’s get into it:
Key Ingredients
For the garlic and herb chicken, you’ll need:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- sliced in half and pounded
softened salted butter (unsalted is okay if it’s all you have, just add 1/2 t salt)
fresh parsley
garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
For the broccoli Alfredo pasta, you’ll need:
a box of your favorite gluten free pasta (I love Jovial’s penne for this)
chopped fresh broccoli
butter
fresh garlic
cream blend
cream cheese
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
red pepper flakes (optional)
a dash of cinnamon (optional)
How to Make Gluten Free Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pasta:
Make the parsley garlic butter. Combine the softened butter with the fresh garlic clove, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
Prepare your chicken. Slice the chicken breasts in half and pound them with a meat mallet. Lay the chicken breasts flat on a plate or sheet pan and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Grill. Place the chicken breasts on a preheated 400° grill for 3 minutes. Turn chicken breasts diagonally at a 45° angle and leave them for another 1-2 minutes to get nice grill marks. Flip chicken and add 1 Tbsp. or so of the garlic parsley butter to each chicken breast. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
Pasta. Boil a large pot of water over high heat. Add salt to boiling water and cook gluten free pasta for 3-4 minutes fewer than the package directions. Add the chopped broccoli directly to the water and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli and set aside.
Sauce. Heat a large saucepan and add the butter and let it melt. Add the grated garlic cloves and cream cheese. Once the cream cheese has mostly melted, slowly pour the cream in a steady stream. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and sprinkle of cinnamon. Let the sauce simmer until it slightly bubbles, stirring often. Once the sauce is bubbling, remove from heat and add freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Finish. Add in the pasta, broccoli, and cooked chicken to the sauce. Top with red chili flakes, fresh parsley, and additional Parmesan. YUM.
Note
The garlic parsley butter makes enough to coat around 3 chicken breasts cut in half so you can cook additional if you wish. I keep the rest for leftovers!
Gluten Free Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- sliced in half and pounded
- 3 tablespoons softened salted butter (unsalted is okay if it’s all you have, just add 1/2 teaspoon salt)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil for drizzling on the chicken
- 12 ounce box of your favorite gluten free pasta (I love Jovial’s penne for this)
- 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cloves minced fresh garlic
- 1 cup half-and-half cream blend
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- pinch of salt
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- a dash of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the softened butter with the fresh garlic clove, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Set aside until ready to grill.
- Prepare. Slice the 2 chicken breasts in half and place in a Ziplock bag and then pound them with a meat mallet (this ensures that they will cook evenly and won’t dry out).
- Lay the chicken breasts flat on a plate or sheet pan and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Grill. Place the chicken breasts on a preheated 400° grill for 3 minutes. Turn chicken breasts diagonally at a 45° angle and leave them for another 1-2 minutes to get nice grill marks. Flip chicken and add 1 Tbsp. or so of the garlic parsley butter to each chicken breast. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.
- Boil a large pot of water over high heat. Add salt to boiling water and cook gluten free pasta for 3-4 minutes fewer than the package directions.
- Add the chopped broccoli directly to the water and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli and set aside.
- Heat a large saucepan for your sauce. When heated, add the butter and let it melt. Add the grated garlic cloves and cream cheese, whisking constantly to avoid burning the butter.
- Once the cream cheese has mostly melted, slowly pour the cream in a steady stream. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and sprinkle of cinnamon. Let the sauce simmer until it slightly bubbles, stirring often. Once the sauce is bubbling, remove from heat and add freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Add in the pasta, broccoli, and cooked chicken to the sauce. Top with red chili flakes, fresh parsley, and additional Parmesan. Enjoy!
Common Questions about the Gluten Free Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Can I make any part of the meal ahead of time?
Yes! I like to make the garlic butter earlier in the day to save myself time at supper. If you have a pal to help you, it’s nice to divide and conquer with the grilling and sauce/ pasta making, but it’s totally not necessary.
Can I omit the cream cheese and/ or cream?
Maybe! I haven’t tried it yet, but I like to use a half-and-half blend cream for the sauce and find that works well. Try it and let me know!