Chicken Asparagus Pasta With Alfredo Sauce

This creamy chicken asparagus pasta recipe is a cheesy, easy skillet meal made with jar sauce and penne pasta for a quick dinner. It’s a healthy twist on chicken alfredo pasta, packed with veggies and family-friendly flavors. If you need weeknight dinner ideas for families, this prep-ahead meal is great for picky eaters and busy nights. Pin this easy recipe to have a delicious, stress-free dinner ready in 30 minutes!

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Why this is the best chicken asparagus pasta recipe

It's easy. Roast the asparagus, boil the pasta, sauté the chicken, pour it all together with the sauce. That's it.

It's quick. You're going to use a jar of pre-made Alfredo sauce which makes this recipe come together in under 30 minutes.

It uses common ingredients. Your local grocery store undoubtedly has everything you need to make chicken asparagus alfredo.

It's creamy comfort food. Cheese, alfredo, and pasta - what could be better?

There are lots of veggies in it. You can feel good about feeding chicken and asparagus pasta to your kids because it's loaded with fresh veggies!

It tastes great! You will have to try different alfredo sauce brands until you find one that you love, but once you get the right one, this pasta dish might just become your new favorite meal. It's not one of those "4-ingredient dinners" - but I think that's a good thing because the flavors are rich and complex.

It's versatile. You can replace the chicken with leftover ham or beef cubes if you have them. You can add extra or different veggies to change the flavors. You can add different spices to the sauce. You could even switch out the alfredo sauce with marinara or another type of sauce.

What you'll need to make chicken asparagus pasta with alfredo sauce

Equipment

• 4-quart pot - You will do all the cooking (besides roasting the veggies) in this one pot.
• Baking sheet - You need a baking sheet to roast the veggies. Use a sheet big enough to fit all your asparagus and onions in a single layer.
• Garlic press - A garlic press makes a thick paste of the fresh garlic cloves. This is better than cutting it up with a knife because there aren't really any pieces of garlic. Or, I guess, the pieces are so small that you can't bite into them. It gives the dish a great flavor without having any crunchy bits to bite into.
• Instant read thermometer - I always use a thermometer when cooking meat or poultry. The internal temperature should be 165ºF to be eaten safely.

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Ingredients

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Olive oil - This is both to coat the veggies before roasting and to cook the chicken in the pot.
• Fresh asparagus - This should be trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1½-2 inches long).
• Coarsely chopped onion - A sweet Vidalia onion is my favorite, but you can use whatever onion you want.
• Your choice of penne pasta - Feel free to use wheat pasta, lentil pasta, gluten-free pasta, or whatever you want. Or leave it out altogether.
• Boneless skinless chicken breast - This should be cut into bite-sized pieces. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer them.
• Fresh garlic - You're going to press this into the pot with the chicken. Fresh garlic is worlds better than jarred garlic or garlic powder, and fresh garlic is super cheap. You can buy a whole bulb of 10ish cloves for about a dollar.
• Salt & pepper - To season the chicken.
• Chicken broth - You may need more to prevent your pot from getting dry.
• Jarred Alfredo sauce - I recommend you have an additional jar ready for reheating; the pasta gets dry when eaten as leftovers.
• Grated Parmesan cheese - You want the actual cheese here, not the powdery stuff from the shelf-stable can.

How to make chicken asparagus alfredo pasta

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Toss the asparagus and onions with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet with raised edges.
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3. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until fork tender.
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4. While the veggies are roasting, prepare pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Drain and set aside.
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5. Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, sauté the chicken breast until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
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6. Add garlic and sauté one minute, then add chicken broth.
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7. Add the roasted veggies. Simmer for a few minutes but don't let the pan get dry.
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8. Add the cooked pasta.
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9. Pour in the Alfredo sauce to the pan.
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10. Stir to coat everything with alfredo sauce.
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11. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
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Substitutions & variations

You can use broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, or almost any vegetable in place of the asparagus.

You could add mushrooms with the asparagus.

If your kids hate onions, leave them out and add a couple of teaspoons of onion powder with the fresh garlic.

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Storing this leftover chicken pasta recipe

Transfer fully cooked leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days. You will need to add additional Alfredo sauce because the pasta will get dry in the refrigerator.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat.

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Try these other delicious 30-minute meals:

• Spicy Marinated Baked Shrimp
• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry
• Green Chili Chicken Soup (Stovetop or Crockpot)
• White Chicken Chili (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
• Cajun Shrimp and Rice (Plus Low Carb Option)
• BBQ Meatloaf Muffins
• Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice
• Balsamic Mushroom Chicken

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