Description
Bring restaurant flair to your weeknight dinner with this irresistible Honey Pepper Chicken Pasta. It’s a quick and flavorful recipe that blends sweet honey, bold cracked black pepper, creamy sauce, and seared chicken—all tangled in tender fusilli pasta. Ideal for easy dinner nights, cozy comfort meals, or when you’re craving something indulgent yet totally doable. This dish ranks high among quick dinner ideas and creamy pasta favorites, perfect for anyone seeking food ideas with flair.
Ingredients
1 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless, sliced into strips
8 oz fusilli pasta
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
1. Season chicken breast strips with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear the chicken until golden and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Boil the fusilli in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter, then add garlic and chili flakes. Let them bloom for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until simmering. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
5. Drizzle in the honey and add a generous crack of black pepper. Stir well and taste—adjust with more honey or pepper to your liking.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss to coat everything in the creamy sauce.
7. Add the seared chicken on top and spoon some sauce over it.
8. Finish with chopped parsley and serve hot with extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
Don’t skip the pasta water—it helps the sauce cling to the pasta and stay creamy.
Use freshly cracked black pepper for the boldest flavor kick.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
Keywords: honey pepper pasta, chicken pasta, easy dinner, creamy pasta, quick dinner ideas