Butterflied chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese, Gruyère, spinach and parsley, rolled up and baked — then served over fettuccine smothered in a rich garlic Alfredo sauce with capers and sliced garlic-stuffed olives. A showstopper.
What You Need
- 4 large chicken breasts, butterflied
- 14 medium cloves garlic
- 6 oz cream cheese, divided
- ½ cup Swiss Gruyère, shredded
- ½ cup fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Lemon zest
- 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup canned/bottled Parmesan cheese (not fresh)
- 4 servings fettuccine noodles
- ¼ cup capers
- Garlic-stuffed olives, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- MARINADE: Place the 4 chicken breasts in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, 6 cloves of chopped garlic, 4 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp salt. Stir to coat, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour — do not refrigerate.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and start cooking the fettuccine noodles.
- FILLING: In a bowl combine 4 oz cream cheese, the shredded Gruyère, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, parsley and spinach. Microwave for 20 seconds, then mix completely. Add the Italian bread crumbs with a pinch of salt and mix well.
- ASSEMBLE: Butterfly and flatten the chicken breasts on a board, smooth side down. Evenly divide the filling across each piece of chicken. Roll each breast up and wrap with kitchen string (about 3 wraps per roll) to hold its shape. Place the rolls in an oven-safe dish.
- Place in the oven for 40 minutes.
- ALFREDO SAUCE: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 1–2 tbsp olive oil. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant. Take off the heat and add the 2 cups heavy cream.
- Heat the sauce back up and skim a spoonful from the top of the pasta water to add in. Add the remaining 2 oz cream cheese and stir until melted. Add the Parmesan and parsley, stirring constantly until the sauce is creamy and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- FINISH: After 40 minutes, turn the oven to high broil for 3 minutes. Take the chicken out to rest for 15 minutes. Slice the garlic-stuffed olives.
- Put the fettuccine on plates, place a chicken roll on top, cut off the string, cover with sauce, sprinkle capers and chopped parsley on top, and serve!
Tips & Notes
- Do not refrigerate the chicken during marinating — room temperature helps the flavors penetrate and keeps the meat tender.
- Resting the chicken for 15 minutes after cooking is essential — it keeps all the juices inside when you slice.
- The canned/bottled Parmesan (not fresh) is intentional here — it melts into the sauce smoothly and gives that classic thick Alfredo texture.
- Yum!! Yum!! Yum!!
#chicken#pasta#alfredo#capers#stuffed#mains#dinner
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