Blackened Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Juicy chicken with a smoky blackened spice crust, served over tender egg fettuccine. It's all tossed in a silky butter-Parmesan alfredo sauce. A little half-and-half keeps the sauce smooth and creamy without the heaviness of the traditional 90s chain alfredo. It's rich, comforting, and a step above what you think chicken alfredo can be.
Ingredients
Blackened Seasoning
- 25 g smoked paprika
- 8 g ground black pepper
- 15 g garlic powder
- 30 g onion powder
- 3 g dried oregano
- 3 g dried thyme
- 30 g coarse kosher salt
- 3 g cayenne pepper
Chicken
- 500 g chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 50 g blackened seasoning, recipe above
- 30 g neutral oil
- unsalted butter
Pasta Sauce
- 250 g dried egg fettuccine nests, De Cecco No. 103 or similar
- 45 g kosher salt, (for 4 liters/quarts pasta water)
- 150 g reserved pasta water, plus more for loosening
- 150 g half-and-half
- 75 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 75 g Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for finishing
- salt
- olive oil
Instructions
- Add all eight seasoning ingredients to a blender. Place a paper towel over the jar, put on the lid and blend on high for about 30 seconds until finely ground and well combined.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half, separating the tapered ends from the thicker lobes. Then slice each thick lobe horizontally into two cutlets, making six pieces total. Gently pound any thicker areas to about ¾ inch so each piece is even. You will have 6 pieces total.
- Press both sides of each chicken piece into the 50g / 5 Tbsp blackened seasoning and shake off excess. Refrigerate uncovered on a wire rack over a tray for 20-30 minutes. Discard any leftover seasoning that contacted the raw chicken.
- Meanwhile, prep ingredients by bringing about 4 liters/qts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Finely grate 75g Parmesan, cube 75g butter and measure 150g half-and-half. Have extra Parmesan and extra butter ready.
- Heat a heavy 12-inch sauté pan over medium and turn on the exhaust fan. Add a generous amount of oil, about 30g. When the oil is heated and shimmering, carefully lay in the chicken. Press with a spatula or cooking weight and leave undisturbed for about 4 minutes until the bottom side is a dark golden brown (not fully black).
- When chicken is almost done on the first side, add a large pad of extra butter and melt.
- When the color on the first side reaches the desired amount of doneness (deep brown), flip the breasts to the second side. Turn off the heat and baste with the butter for 1-2 minutes. When done, the center of the chicken should reach 155°F and remain there for a full minute.
- Transfer chicken to a plate and pour the pan butter over the chicken. Rest the chicken while making the pasta.
- Add two large 3 finger pinches of salt to the boiling water along with the fettuccine. Stir to separate and cook according to the package instructions. Taste for doneness: tender with a little bite.
- Reserve 200–300g (about 1–1½ cups) pasta water, then drain without rinsing. Make the sauce right away.
- In the empty Dutch oven over medium heat, bring 150g / ½ cup pasta water and 150g half-and-half to a gentle simmer. Add cubed butter and stir until opaque and smooth with no greasy slick.
- Fold in the pasta gently. There should be enough liquid in the bottom of the pan that when you pull away the pasta, the liquid is fully coating the bottom of the pan. If needed, add more pasta water.
- Next, turn off the heat and sprinkle in 75g Parmesan evenly over the pasta. Very gently turn and fold the pasta until the parmesan is melted into the sauce.
- Loosen with small splashes of reserved pasta water if needed until glossy and slightly loose, with just a little sauce pooling underneath. Fold to incorporate very gently so you don’t break the pasta. Taste and add salt only if needed.
The blackened spice recipe makes about 115 g of seasoning. Measure 50g / 5 Tbsp into a shallow bowl for the chicken and store the untouched remainder in an airtight container to use for a future recipe.
The pasta will continue to absorb moisture so the sauce should look slightly looser in the pot than you want it to be on the plate. You’re looking for silky, but not wet.
Like this? Leave a comment below!