Creamy, comforting and hard to resist🧀
Comfort food is very much part of our everyday cooking, and honestly, we wouldn't want it any other way. 😄
These are the meals we turn to when we want something warm, filling and genuinely satisfying without spending half the day in the kitchen. They don't usually need a long shopping list or complicated techniques either. A few familiar ingredients, a little time at the cooker, and something delicious is ready to enjoy.
And we're certainly not alone in loving them. Creamy pastas, cheesy dishes, burgers, sandwiches and all those wonderfully indulgent meals have earned a permanent place on restaurant menus for a reason. Even people who don't particularly enjoy cooking tend to have a favourite comfort food they'd happily order again and again.
Perhaps that's what makes this kind of food so difficult to resist. It doesn't need to be fancy or reinvented every time. Sometimes you simply want a generous plate of something creamy, savoury and filling that feels like a little reward after a long day.
That's exactly where today's recipe comes in. Creamy Parmesan pasta with juicy pan-seared chicken — simple ingredients, plenty of flavour and all the comfort you could want on one plate. 😄
📝Ingredients
For the Pasta and Sauce
For the Chicken
🥄 Instructions
1. Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Cook the large pasta shells according to the packet instructions. Before draining, reserve 100 ml of the pasta water.
Drain the pasta and set aside.
2. Season the Chicken
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, BBQ smoky pepper seasoning, garlic powder and sweet paprika.
If your BBQ seasoning already contains salt, keep this in mind when adding the extra salt.
3. Pan-Sear the Chicken
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook until beautifully golden on both sides and completely cooked through.
Near the end of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, turn the chicken in the butter to lightly coat both sides.
Remove the chicken from the pan and leave it to rest.
4. Start the Sauce
Add the diced onion to the same pan and cook until softened.
Add the finely chopped garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
Stir in 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika.
5. Make the Creamy Sauce
Pour in 500 ml double cream and stir everything together.
Add 100 ml reserved pasta water, followed by freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Keep the heat gentle while the sauce comes together.
6. Add the Parmesan
Add most of the 100 g finely grated Parmesan, reserving a little for serving.
Stir gently until the Parmesan has melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
7. Add the Pasta
Add the cooked pasta shells and gently toss until they're well coated in the sauce.
Stir through most of the chopped fresh parsley, reserving a little for serving.
8. Slice and Serve
Slice the rested chicken into strips and arrange it over the creamy pasta.
Finish with the remaining Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Serve while hot and creamy.
Enjoy! 😍
What to Serve It With🍽️
This recipe is already rich and filling, so it really doesn't need much alongside it.
If you'd like something fresh to balance the creamy sauce, a simple green salad, tomatoes or some lightly cooked vegetables would work nicely.
And if you're fully embracing the comfort-food mood, garlic bread would certainly feel at home next to this pasta. 😄
You can also serve the pasta and chicken separately and let everyone build their own plate. Just make sure everyone gets some of those shells filled with creamy sauce — they're too good to leave behind.
Why You’ll Love It⭐
One of the best things about comfort food is that it doesn't need to be complicated.
This recipe uses familiar ingredients and turns them into something rich, creamy and satisfying. The Parmesan adds plenty of savoury flavour, while the garlic, paprika and smoky seasoning give the chicken a little extra character alongside the mild creaminess of the pasta.
The large pasta shells are also perfect for a sauce like this. Creamy sauce finds its way inside them, creating little pockets of Parmesan goodness throughout the dish.
It's simple, filling and easy to adapt to your own taste — exactly the kind of recipe we love making at home.
💡 Pro Tips
Keep the heat gentle.
Once the double cream goes into the pan, there's no need for a vigorous boil. Gentle heat is enough to bring everything together.
Don't forget the pasta water.
Reserve it before draining your pasta. Putting a mug or measuring jug next to the cooker beforehand is a surprisingly effective way of avoiding that “Oh... I needed that” moment five seconds after you've poured it away. 😂
Finely grate the Parmesan.
It will melt more easily into the warm cream and help you achieve a smoother sauce.
Let the chicken rest before slicing.
Give it a few minutes after removing it from the pan. This helps keep more of those juices inside the chicken rather than on your chopping board.
Taste before reaching for more salt.
Parmesan and BBQ seasoning blends can both contain plenty of salt, so taste first and adjust afterwards if needed.
Keep a little Parmesan aside.
Don't put all of it into the sauce. A little freshly grated Parmesan over the finished dish adds both flavour and a lovely finishing touch.
✨ Final Thoughts
Comfort food doesn't have to mean hours in the kitchen or a shopping list as long as your arm.
Sometimes the simplest combinations are the ones we keep coming back to: creamy pasta, juicy chicken, plenty of Parmesan and a few familiar seasonings to bring everything together.
And those large pasta shells make this one especially satisfying. There's something ridiculously good about cutting into the chicken and then finding a shell underneath that's practically filled with creamy Parmesan sauce. 😄
Simple ingredients, plenty of flavour and a big plate of proper comfort food.
We think that's more than enough reason to make it again. ❤️
