Creamy Aglio E Olio Chicken Pasta
with Chili Flakes, Roma Tomato & Chopped Parsley
- Wheat
- Milk
Spaghetti aglio e olio translates to “spaghetti with garlic and oil”—and that about sums it up! This traditional, rustic dish from Naples turns a few classic ingredients into something spectacular. In this twist, our chefs used a light hand, giving fresh tomato, parsley, and chili flakes a chance to shine in a simple cream sauce. Italian-seasoned chicken is served over top for a mealtime concept that you won’t need an interpreter to understand: Less really is more!
Ingredients
¼ ounce
Parsley
1 unit
Tomato
4 clove
Garlic
10 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
6 ounce
Spaghetti
(Contains: Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
2 teaspoon
Olive Oil
½ tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Finely dice tomato. Peel and thinly slice garlic. Pick parsley leaves from stems; roughly chop leaves.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels; season all over with half the Italian Seasoning (all for 4 servings), salt (we used 1⁄4 tsp; 1⁄2 tsp for 4), and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: If chicken starts to brown too quickly, lower heat to medium and cover pan with lid after flipping chicken. • Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Wipe out pan.
• Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta cooking water (1 cup for 4 servings), then drain pasta.
• Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in pan used for chicken over medium low. Add tomato, garlic, and chili flakes to taste (we used 1⁄2 tsp; add a pinch more if you like things spicy), and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in cream sauce base and 1⁄4 cup reserved pasta cooking water (1⁄2 cup for 4 servings). Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir drained spaghetti, parsley, and 1⁄2 TBSP butter (1 TBSP for 4 servings) into pan with sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.
• Thinly slice chicken crosswise. • Divide pasta between bowls; top with chicken and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the creamy, garlicky sauce with a spicy kick from chili flakes; some found it bland and wanted more depth.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights or after long workdays 🍲.
- Suggestions: Consider adding Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, or extra vegetables like spinach or zucchini for more flavor and nutrition.
- Portions: Some felt the pasta or chicken portions were too small; others found it filling with leftovers.
- Spice level: Use chili flakes cautiously - a little goes a long way for those sensitive to heat 🌶️.
Reviews from our home cooks
I wanted to love this recipe, however it lacked enough garlic flavor to call it Aglio e Olio. I'm thinking you need to add some garlic powder somewhere in the recipe to get more garlic flavor or double the fresh garlic. Also, I think dried parsley would have worked better than the fresh, it made it taste too much like grass which could also have taken away from the garlic flavor. This recipe needs adjustments!
I also have an aglio e olio dish that I make on my own, and I like how this dish evokes a similar flavor, but the cream sauce makes it a bit different and interesting. We both really liked it.
Delicious! Some thoughts though :-). It's a bit heavy and I don't mind that! The chicken is probably not even necessary. Add seared or sauteed mushrooms and bacon lardons to this creamy pasta and you've got another hit! Great recipe!
I actually roasted the garlic and tomatoes in olive oil and then blended them into the cream sauce. Felt it added more aglio and olio 😉
Amazing chicken and pasta recipe! The spices are great and cream sauce come together nicely! It is nice to add these recipes into our weekly schedule. We have been wanting some new meals for the week!
Really good, but the recipe said to add the chili flakes which I thought meant all of them, but it later went on to say 1/2 tsp. So our pasta lit our mouths on fire 😂 might be worth adding the 1/2 tsp before chili flakes to be more clear
This meal came together easily and had lots of flavor. I chopped the chicken breast into bite sized pieces and mixed it into the pasta. I also added more of the chili into the sauce to kick it up a notch. Great meal!
This dish disappeared practically out of the pot before it even got into the plate. It was so good ! But so simple. We love it! Another suggestion is cecio e pepe.. salt and pepper pasta with chicken and compound herby butter.
Very tasty pasta dish. If you add all the chili flakes then there is a bite, which we like. Added a little more spaghetti & easily fed 3. Great!
Best cream spaghetti I've ever had. I don't even like tomatoes but man I love them in this dish! Sooo good, especially if you add the chili flakes and make it spicy!
