Crispy Parmesan-crusted chicken on top of short pasta in a garlic cream sauce, finished with fresh sage. It’s two comfort foods on one plate, and the trick is keeping them apart until the very end: the chicken goes on top, not into the sauce, so the crust is still crunchy when you eat it. It takes about 45 minutes.
The sauce uses a technique I learned from watching Gordon Ramsay: take the pan off the heat before the cheese goes in. Boiling cream and Parmesan together makes a grainy, split sauce. Off the heat, the cheese melts in smooth.
Ingredients
For the crispy chicken
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for the breading
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
For the garlic Parmesan pasta
- 12 oz (340 g) short pasta (cavatelli, cellentani, or rigatoni)
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cups (125 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, for garnish
Before you start
Grate the Parmesan yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch to stop it clumping, which also stops it melting smoothly into the sauce. An instant-read thermometer is helpful for the oil and the chicken, but not essential.
Method
- Bread the chicken and let it rest. Pat the strips dry. Set up three shallow dishes: flour mixed with the garlic powder, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper; the beaten eggs; and the panko mixed with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Coat each strip in flour, then egg, then press it firmly into the panko. Leave the strips on a wire rack for 10 minutes. This rest helps the coating stick in the hot oil.
- Fry until golden. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to about 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden and 165°F (74°C) inside. If the oil is too cool the crust turns greasy; too hot and it browns before the chicken is cooked. Drain on a clean rack and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cook the pasta. Boil the pasta in well-salted water until 1 minute short of the package time. Save 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- Soften the garlic. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant and just turning golden at the edges. Don’t let it brown, or it turns bitter.
- Make the sauce off the heat. Pour in the cream and simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Take the pan off the heat, then whisk in the 1 1/4 cups Parmesan, the Italian seasoning and pepper until smooth. Add the pasta and toss, loosening the sauce with splashes of pasta water until everything is glossy.
- Plate it up. Divide the pasta among warm bowls. Slice the chicken, lay it on top, and finish with more Parmesan and the sage leaves. Serve right away while the chicken is still crunchy.
Which pasta shape?
Short shapes with ridges or curls, like cavatelli, cellentani or rigatoni, trap the sauce in their grooves. Long, smooth noodles let it slide off, and they’re harder to eat with the chicken on top.
Air fryer, leftovers and fixes
- Air fryer chicken: spray the breaded strips with oil and cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway. They’ll be crunchy but a little paler.
- Grainy sauce: the pan was too hot when the cheese went in, or the cheese was pre-shredded. Next time, take the pan off the heat first and grate your own.
- Leftovers: store the chicken and pasta separately for up to 2 days. Re-crisp the chicken at 400°F (200°C) for 5–7 minutes, and loosen the pasta with a splash of cream or water as it reheats.
Pasta Recipes
Gordon Ramsay Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe
Golden, shatteringly crisp fried chicken strips served over tender pasta tossed in a silky garlic parmesan cream sauce, finished with fresh sage and extra Parmesan.
Chef Gordon Ramsay Recipes
Prep
20 minutes
20 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
25 minutes
Total
45 minutes
45 minutes
Serves
4 servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
01
Bread the chicken
Pat the chicken strips dry. Set out three shallow dishes: flour whisked with garlic powder, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; beaten eggs; and panko mixed with the 1/2 cup Parmesan. Dredge each strip in flour, dip in egg, then press firmly into the panko-parmesan mixture. Rest the breaded strips on a wire rack for 10 minutes so the coating sets.
02
Fry until golden
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crisp, with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a clean wire rack and sprinkle immediately with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Do not crowd the pan.
03
Boil the pasta
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta 1 minute shy of the package directions, until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
04
Sauté the garlic
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just turning golden at the edges. Do not let it brown.
05
Build the sauce and toss
Pour in the heavy cream and simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the 1 1/4 cups Parmesan, the Italian seasoning, and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper until the sauce is silky. Add the drained pasta and toss, loosening with splashes of reserved pasta water until every piece is glossed with sauce.
06
Assemble and serve
Divide the creamy pasta among warm bowls. Slice the crispy chicken and fan it over the top. Shower with extra grated Parmesan, scatter over the fresh sage leaves, and serve immediately while the chicken is still crunchy.
Chef Tips
- Resting the breaded chicken for 10 minutes before frying is what keeps the panko crust glued on in the hot oil instead of sliding off.
- Take the sauce off the heat before whisking in the Parmesan — boiling cream sauce and cheese together is what makes it grainy instead of silky.
- Fry in batches and keep the oil at 350°F (175°C): too cool and the crust turns greasy, too hot and it browns before the chicken cooks through.
- Reserve that pasta water — its starch is the easiest way to loosen a thickened cream sauce without watering down the flavor.
More to cook
Find more dinner ideas on Pinterest.
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