Homemade Penne Pasta Alfredo Sauce tossed with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
I adore pasta! Especially sauces made with alfredo sauce. I seriously miss eating at restaurants like Carrabba’s and Macaroni Grill. I had some leftover heavy whipping cream from making my gluten-free coconut cream pie this past weekend, so I decided to put it to good use and make this Tuscan inspired gluten-free penne pasta alfredo.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Homemade alfredo sauce is SO good and really easy to make. Trust me, after you make your own, you will never buy a jar of alfredo sauce again. Sauteed chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes bring so much flavor and depth to the alfredo sauce.
If you are not a big fan of the veggies, just leave them out and you will still have an amazing chicken alfredo. This sauce is outstanding and you could just serve it over any gluten-free pasta.
Pasta
Selecting pasta can be tricky. I have tried a lot of different brands and based on flavor and texture listed my favorite brands of gluten-free pasta here.
I always salt my water, at least a tablespoon for 1 pound of pasta in 4 quarts (16 cups) water. Also, adding a teaspoon of olive oil to the water to help the pasta not stick together. Make sure to add the salt, olive oil and pasta to the water once it has come to a rolling boil. It is very important that you cook the pasta al dente to the box’s directions. I also always rinse my pasta with cold water after draining it to keep it from cooking longer and getting mushy.
Let’s Connect! You can FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★
Gluten-Free Penne Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick of butter)
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt to taste (chicken)
- 1 large skinless and boneless chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes
- ½ cup portabella mushrooms
- ½ chopped baby spinach
- 1 12 oz box of gluten-free penne pasta (My favorite brand is Barilla)
Instructions
- Boil water and cook penne pasta according to the box directions. You will want al dente, not mushy. Salt the water.
- Dice the chicken into small bite sized pieces.
- Add olive oil and chicken to a large pan, salt chicken to taste.
- Lightly saute the chicken over a medium to high heat.
- Add mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and continue to sautee.
- Add butter to the pan. Stir as it melts.
- Add heavy cream and stir.
- Add seasonings.
- Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
- Add drained pasta to the pan with the sauce mixture.
- Stir gently to coat pasta with sauce.
- Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Aaron Hannie says
Hi Audrey! Italian food is my favorite cuisine, so you can imagine that I was devastated when I found out I had a gluten allergy. Thankfully, there are a variety of gluten free pastas available nowadays, so I was able to make this one!
This recipe was incredible! I am a relatively inexperienced cook, so I had never sautéed chicken before. Yet despite my inexperience, this dish was the bomb! I made this dish for my fiance and parents, all of whom said that it was really delicious. You are absolutely right – after making your own alfredo sauce, it’s hard to go back to store bought. What truly amazed me was the simplicity of this dish while still having a complex flavor profile.
Overall, this was an amazing dish that I cannot wait to make again. Thank you for sharing!
nicole lamy says
Hi, I’m lactose intolerant, what’s a good substitute for heavy cream that won’t jeopardise the taste.
Audrey says
Hi Nicole! I have not tried this recipe with a dairy subistue. The creamiest would be a can of cocnut milk. Use the milk that is the thick part of the milk that is at the top of the can. You can also refigerate the can to make it easier to scrape out. I have also used almond milk in cream soups, but I added flour to the broth. I hope this helps.