Cook the fettuccine. Cook fettuccine in a large pasta pot with salted water according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain and drizzle with a few dashes of oil and toss to coat to prevent sticking.
In the meantime, cook the chicken. Slice chicken breasts in half length-wise for uniformly thin cutlets. Pat dry. Stir together salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and paprika until mixed. Sprinkle over both sides of the cutlets. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet to medium heat. Cook chicken in an uncrowded layer, undisturbed in the skillet for about 4-6 minutes, until browned.
Add butter to skillet. Using tongs, flip the chicken and swirl to coat in oil and butter. Cover with a vented lid and cook for 4-7 more minutes.* Cool chicken just enough, slicing into 1/2-inch strips. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Make the Alfredo sauce. Bring the same skillet to medium heat. Add butter, swirling to coat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add heavy cream, garlic powder, salt, ground nutmeg, and black pepper. Bring heat to medium high, stirring together until well mixed. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium. Gradually stir in parmesan, cooking until well mixed and thickened, about 3-6 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, stir in small amounts of reserved pasta water to thin out.
Make chicken fettuccine Alfredo: Add pasta to sauce, tossing to combine. Serve in bowls and top with chicken, parsley, black pepper to taste, and parmesan.
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Notes
* Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.For details & tips on how to perfectly cook chicken, see my pan-seared chicken breasts recipe.