Chicken Ziti with homemade Alfredo sauce without heavy cream

This Chicken with bechamel sauce is like a homemade Alfredo sauce without heavy cream. It’s a white sauce pasta bake Ziti Chicken Alfredo.

Baked pasta recipes are just the bomb.     We love them because they make life so much easier because they can be assembled ahead of time.  But of course they are delicious, we are pasta lovers, all things Italian go over well here at the Ranch.

Homemade Alfredo sauce without heavy cream or bechamel sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 cloves garlic chopped, very fine
• 7 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
• Add the garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally
• Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine, continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to cook the flour
• Add the chicken broth and whisk until mixture starts to thicken, add milk and continue to cook and whisk until thickened
• Stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper
• remove from heat and add chicken

Since you will need 12 cloves chopped garlic for this sauce, we have two items that make the job so much easier for you. 

Garlic peeler–it’s just a rubber tube that looks like a manicotti.  The clove is placed into the tube and rolled and the peels are separated easily from the meat of the garlic.

Garlic Chopper– it’s not your average garlic press.  Twist to chop up to four peeled cloves of garlic at a time.

Usually Alfredo sauce uses a heavy cream but we make it with a rue that has all the flavor but is so much easier.   It’s probably more of a bechamel sauce but I’m sure you will love it as much or more.  No matter what you would like to call it, both ways uses an amazing white sauce, ours is just easier. 

Chicken Ziti White Sauce Pasta Bake:

• While making your white sauce, cook the ziti according to package directions.
• Drain the pasta and return to stockpot and cover to keep warm.
• Pour your white sauce mixture over the ziti and gently stir to combine
• Pour half of the mixture into a greased 9 X 13 baking dish
• Sprinkle evenly with half of the mozzarella cheese, layer the remaining pasta mixture evenly on top and add the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.
• Bake uncovered in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and the top just starts to turn a golden brown
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!

This easy Chicken Alfredo baked ziti is made from scratch and is one of our favorite recipes here at the Ranch.  It’s loaded with garlic which adds so much flavor to this white sauce pasta bake.

Click HERE to save this ziti chicken with bechamel sauce to Pinterest

Print Recipe

Easy Chicken Alfredo

Baked Ziti with homemade alfredo sauce and chicken 

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Baked Pasta, Baked Ziti, Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Servings: 6

Author: Evelyn

Ingredients

• 16 ounces ziti
• 2 1/2 cups grilled chicken cut into bite size pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 cloves garlic chopped very fine
• 7 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups parmesan cheese grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

For the Pasta

• While making the Alfredo Sauce, cook the ziti according to package directions.
• Drain the pasta and return to stockpot and cover to keep warm.

Alfredo Sauce:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
• Add the garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally
• Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine, continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to cook the flour
• Add the chicken broth and whisk until mixture starts to thicken, add milk and continue to cook and whisk until thickened
• Stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper
• Remove from heat and add chicken
• Pour mixture over the ziti and gently stir to combine
• Pour half of the mixture into a greased 9 X 13 baking dish
• Sprinkle evenly with half of the mozzarella cheese, layer the remaining pasta mixture evenly on top and add the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.
• Bake uncovered in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and the top just starts to turn a golden brown
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!