This easy Light Creamy Chicken Fettuccine is easy to make, delicious, and a little lighter than your typical fettuccine alfredo because it's made with milk instead of cream. However, you can lighten it up even further (see WW points below). It's the perfect winter comfort food and one the whole family will love!
This lighter Creamy chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe is popular in the winter months, but makes a great meal all year long. This pasta pairs well with Kale Salad with Cranberries and Feta as well as my Easy Garlic Bread, and Tomato & Basil Bruschetta appetizer, and makes the perfect quick weeknight dinner.
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This creamy fettuccine alfredo is adapted from another one of those wonderful simple recipes my kids brought home from culinary arts class in middle school (see my Butter chicken and Lemon Chicken Pasta recipes too). I love that it's both easy and tastes great!
🥘Ingredient Notes
You don't need heavy cream or any cream to make this homemade alfredo sauce. This method only requires milk that's thickened with flour, resulting in a delicious creamy sauce.
- Butter. I use unsalted butter because I like to control the salt in my recipes. Different brands of salted butter have varied salt content.
- Chicken bouillon. Chicken bouillon makes this dish very flavorful!
- Milk- I use 1% milk because it keeps this dish lighter and it's what I always have on hand.
- Boneless and skinless chicken breast. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs work best. They are easy to cook and slice into bite-sized pieces. I cook them, and then chop them into cubes. They are also the lowest calorie/ww points. You can also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs, pre-cooked or shredded chicken for convenience.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Milk - you can use 1% milk, 2% milk, or whole milk
- Gluten-free - use a gluten-free noodle and gluten-free bouillon (such as BOU).
- Lactose-free or Dairy-free -you can make your own parmesan cheese (vegan) and use dairy-free milk and vegan margarine
- Addins - you can add minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, as well as broccoli.
- Lighter/WW friendly - see WW points below
🔪How to Make Creamy Chicken Fettuccine
Prep:
- In a large pot of water, cook fettuccine noodles as per package directions.
- Then cook chicken breast in a large skillet until no longer pink inside (internal temperature should read 165 degrees F/74 degrees C).
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
For Sauce:
Melt butter over high heat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium - low heat. (*I use the same pot I used to cook the pasta).
Add salt pepper, chicken bouillon and flour to the pot.
Whisk until combined.
Then continue whisking over medium-low heat until the mixture becomes a smooth roux.
Slowly pour in milk.
Whisk continually as you pour, until combined.
Add grated parmesan cheese, and continue to whisk until the cheese melts into the mixture and becomes smooth. Turn up to medium heat.
Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce becomes thick.
Once the sauce thickens, remove from the heat.
Pour over cooked pasta and stir well.
Note: sauce will thicken as it cools.
*Garnish with parsley, cilantro, or additional parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips
- Prep the chicken the night before. I love to cook the chicken (and often the noodles) the night before. Then this dinner comes together in a snap!
- Check for doneness. Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) using an instant-read thermometer. Overcooking can dry it out, so monitor the temperature carefully.
- Cut chicken into cubes. I cook, then chop the chicken into approximately ½ inch cubes, once it's cooled enough. It's so much easier than cutting raw chicken and this ensures the pieces are bite-sized.
- Fix thick or thin sauce. If sauce thickens too much, thin it with a small amount of pasta water or milk. If it's not thick enough, add a little more flour (1 tablespoon at a time). And remember the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Reduce clean up. Use the same pot to make the fettuccine alfredo sauce that you used to cook the pasta !
🥗What to serve with Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
This Chicken Fettuccini recipe goes well with so many dishes, but I recommend serving it with Italian Bread Machine Breadsticks and Strawberry Spinach Salad.
If you're looking for something lighter, try it with Cloud Bread and these Healthy Glazed Carrots (with Brown Sugar)
🌡️Storage
Fridge: Store leftover chicken fettuccine in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer: This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave thawed or heat from frozen.
👪 Serving Size
This easy recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This homemade Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is 14 WW points, but you can lighten it up to 8 ww points by using light butter, skim milk, fat-free parmesan cheese, and a lower carb noodle such as Skinny Pasta.
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use pre-cooked chicken such as rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Simply cut it into bite-sized pieces and stir it in when mixing the pasta and sauce.
Chicken fettuccine typically refers to pasta made with a creamy sauce and chicken, while chicken alfredo specifically uses Alfredo sauce, which is a rich combination of butter, cream, and parmesan. So this recipe can be called either.
A creamy white wine like Chardonnay, a light Pinot Grigio. or Vinho Verde pairs beautifully with the creamy sauce of chicken fettuccine.
So if you're looking for an easy fettuccine pasta recipe, give this one a try!
🍝More Pasta Recipes
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📋Light Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 16 oz - package of fettuccine noodles
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 4 cups milk
- 1 ¼ cups grated parmesan cheese
- 4 chicken breasts
Garnish (optional)
- additional grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan cheese and black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Cook fettuccine pasta as per package directions (to al dente).16 oz - package of fettuccine noodles
- Cook chicken breast until no longer pink (165 degrees F/74 degrees C), then cut into bite-sized pieces.4 chicken breasts
- Melt butter over high heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan (I use the same pot I used to cook the pasta).½ cup unsalted butter
- Add salt pepper, chicken bouillon, and flour to the pot.6 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoon chicken bouillon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Whisk until it becomes a smooth roux.
- Then continue whisking over medium- low heat until the mixture becomes a smooth roux.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisking continually as you pour, until combined.4 cups milk
- Whisk continually as you pour, until combined.
- Turn up to medium heat. Add grated parmesan cheese, continue to whisk until cheese melts into the mixture and become smooth.1 ¼ cups grated parmesan cheese
- Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce becomes thick.
- Once sauce thickens, remove from the heat. Pour over pasta and mix well.
- Notes: *Sauce will thicken as it cools**If sauce thickens too much thin it with a small amount of pasta water or milk
Garnish (optional):
- Add additional grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan cheese and/or black pepper. You can also garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.additional grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan cheese and black pepper
Notes
-
- Prep the chicken the night before. I love to cook the chicken (and often the noodles) the night before. Then this dinner comes together in a snap!
-
- Check for doneness. Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) using an instant-read thermometer. Overcooking can dry it out, so monitor the temperature carefully.
-
- Cut chicken into cubes. I cook, then chop the chicken into approximately ½ inch cubes, once it's cooled enough. It's so much easier than cutting raw chicken and this ensures the pieces are bite-sized.
-
- Fix thick or thin sauce. If sauce thickens too much, thin it with a small amount of pasta water or milk. If it's not thick enough, add a little more flour (1 tablespoon at a time). And remember the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Reduce clean up. Use the same pot to make the fettuccine alfredo sauce that you used to cook the pasta !
-
- Milk - you can use 1% milk, 2% milk or whole milk
-
- Gluten-free - use a gluten-free noodle and gluten-free bouillon (such as BOU)
-
- Lactose-free or Dairy-free -you can make your own parmesan cheese (vegan) and use dairy-free milk and vegan margarine
-
- Addins - you can add minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, as well as broccoli.
-
- Lighter/WW friendly - see WW points below
Terri Gilson
I'm always on the lookout for lighter versions of classic comfort foods, and this Creamy Fettuccine really hits the spot. It's amazing how creamy and delicious it turns out using just milk instead of heavy cream. My kids first brought this recipe home from their middle school culinary arts class, and it's been a family favorite ever since. It's so simple to make, perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something cozy and satisfying without all the extra calories.