Chicken Linguine Alfredo

This alfredo sauce is delicious! So rich and creamy and cheesy! Seriously good. I think this will be my go-to alfredo sauce in the future. I adapted the recipe from Mommy's Kitchen. One thing about cooking this meal is that timing is everything - it's important to marinate the chicken for 2 hours and cook it before starting the sauce and to make the sauce close to when the pasta will be finished cooking as well. But in the end it is fantastic and with a little planning it's a very easy meal to prepare.

Chicken Linguine Alfredo

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
a bottle of Italian salad dressing (I used Kraft Light House Italian)
1 lb linguine pasta
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
3 cups cream
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 hours before cooking:
Pound the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness and marinate them in the Italian dressing for 2 hours.

At time of cooking:
Remove chicken breasts from marinade and discard marinade. In a skillet or grill pan brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Remove and place in a baking pan and bake at 350 until cooked through and chicken breasts register 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Remove from oven and cut into strips. Place chicken strips in a bowl and cover.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is finishing cooking melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan. Add garlic and cook for about 15 seconds, just until fragrant. Add cream and cook for 3 minutes or until reduced a bit. Add cheeses and stir well. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir until combined. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss. Add the cooked chicken strips and heat through. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Sprinkle extra parmesan and freshly ground black pepper on individual servings.