Cheesecake Factory Chicken Bellagio with pesto pasta, Parmesan, crispy chicken, and pancetta for the perfect meal with an authentic copycat!
My readers and I are big fans of copycat recipes from the Cheesecake Factory so make sure to browse all my Cheesecake Factory Copycats including my favorites, Chicken Madeira and Spicy Cashew Chicken.
Sabrina’s Chicken Bellagio
This recipe is no exception when it comes to my delicious copycat restaurant classics, and makes a great dinner for a special occasion. You’ll love being able to customize the ingredients and to master this dish so you can make it whenever the craving strikes. Plus, it’s not as expensive as eating out! Speaking of saving, I often make this with everything except the prosciutto unless we have guests. While I love prosciutto, when its just for us all the other flavors combined still make up a crazy delicious dinner without splurging on the specialty ingredient.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
- 1 pound thin spaghetti
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless, skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces shaved parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
BASIL OIL:
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
TO FINISH THE DISH:
- 1/2 cup basil oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ounces shaved Parmesan
- 1 lemon , cut into wedges
- 4 slices prosciutto (optional, see notes)
- arugula leaves (optional, see notes)
Instructions
CHICKEN:
- Cook the pasta to one minute shy of the directions.
- Place the chicken between two pieces of saran wrap.
- Pound the chicken to a 3/4-inch thickness with either a mallet or tenderizer.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in flour, then beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs.
- Add the oil to a large cast iron skillet or heavy pan on medium high heat.
- Cook the chicken in the pan for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown (as pictured).
- Wipe out the oil and crumbs and leave skillet for finishing dish.
PARMESAN SAUCE:
- Add the butter to the pan and let melt on medium heat.
- Add the flour and whisk well, let cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the cream slowly while whisking.
- Add in the Parmesan, salt and pepper and whisk until thickened.
- Remove from heat for serving.
BASIL OIL:
- Set a pot of water to boil and a large bowl of ice water to the side.
- Blanche the basil for 1 minute then remove the basil to the ice water.
- Remove from ice water and squeeze dry.
- In a small food processor add the basil and oil and puree.
- Note: Use basil oil within a week (trust me you’ll want to put it on everything).
TO FINISH THE DISH:
- Add ½ cup of basil oil, chicken broth, and butter to the skillet, then heat over medium heat.
- Add the pasta back in along with the shaved Parmesan and toss to coat.
- Plate with pasta, topped with cooked chicken, more Parmesan cheese (if desired), the cream sauce, more of the basil oil and (optional) a slice of the prosciutto rolled up and arugula leaves to finish.
- Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the plate and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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About This Recipe
One thing I will say is this dish is it has a lot of steps to making it and a couple of mini recipes within the main recipe but the results are SPECTACULAR. The recipe comes from the Cheesecake Factory for most of the ingredients but the Parmesan Cream Sauce and the Basil Oil are my own recipes.
FAQ’s
Bacon is made by brining then smoking pork belly. Prosciutto is made by curing with salt and pepper but no smoking. It is also rolled into a spiral to keep the shape.
Chicken Bellagio is a pasta dish made popular at The Cheesecake Factory. It is mixed with a basil oil sauce, Parmesan cream sauce, crispy chicken, prosciutto, and arugula finished with a bit of lemon juice. It’s creamy, herby, full of delicious, fresh flavors, and a perfect bowl of comfort food.
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Images used in a previous version of this post:
This recipe looks incredible! The balance of spicy, citrusy chicken with that creamy, dreamy sauce? Yes, please. Definitely bookmarking this one for a fun dinner plan. Thanks for sharing—can’t wait to try it!
very fun to do! I even got my daughter to help me out.
Love that your daughter helped you make dinner! Thanks Mina for the great review.
Am I the only one who doesn’t read through the entire recipe when making a grocery list? Why was the prosciutto not on the ingredients list? How do I arrange something later I was never told to buy?
Doesn’t taste like cheesecake factory anyway.
I’m sorry you were disappointed. I fixed the recipe card to include prosciutto and arugula for optional toppings. It’s explained in the post that we use these ingredients for guests but normally the ingredients are not included. Sorry for any confusion and hope you’ll come back for more recipes another time!
You forgot the prosciutto
Hi Chris,
We didn’t include a note in the list of ingredients! You’re right. We only included it in the instruction on how…
TO FINISH THE DISH:
Add ½ cup of basil oil, chicken broth and butter to the skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add the pasta back in along with the shaved Parmesan and toss to coat.
Plate with pasta, topped with cooked chicken, more Parmesan cheese (if desired), the cream sauce, more of the basil oil, a slice of the prosciutto rolled up and arugula leaves to top.
Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the plate and serve.
I don’t eat red meat so I found the recipe perfect!
Great! Thank you Anne and thank you for the 5 star rating!
I also know how to make a cream sauce and this was way, way too much flour to thicken 1 cup of cream!! A big paste mess is what it was!! Half the flour and butter at most to begin this roux is more like it!
And by the way I weight all my ingredients on a scale for accuracy.
I had this exact same problem! Thank you for comment, I halved the flour and came out much better
I have been having such intense cravings with my pregnancy and today it was the chicken bellagio from Cheesecake Factory, I’m a creature of habit and it’s what I get every time we go! The only issue is we just moved states and the closest Cheesecake Factory to our new house is 2hrs away which with gas prices now just wasn’t worth sending my husband out to get! My cravings were so intense I was crying my eyes out until I came across this recipe! We had to hit 3 different grocery stores and Spent 1hr in the kitchen but it was sooooooooo worth it!! Tastes exactly like the Cheesecake Factory’s and I am now one happy satisfied mama!
Recipe is spot on. I’ll love the cheesecake factory. I was surprised to find this recipe so easy to follow. It tastes just like theirs! Instead of per Sketo I use some very crispy bacon and I don’t like arugula so we just left that off. Amazing!
Ingredient list omits prosciutto, arugula, dressing for arugula… ?????
You don’t even have arugula or prosciutto on the ingredient list… maybe you should try this recipe again and redo it correctly.
Better than bouillon is just awful. Very salty, not natural flavour at all.
You could always use a low sodium version also.
I followed this recipe to the T. Cream sauce turned out like paste, and I know how to make cream sauce. It calls for parsley I. The ingredients, not the arugula you mention I. The directions. Try this recipe again for yourself
By shaved parmesan do you mean shaved right then and there off the block into the pan? Or are those tubs of pre shaved parmesan from the market fine to toss into the pan?
You can use either.
So the parmesan sauce is absolutely off. I ended up with cheese goo and not sauce.
Did you use pre grated cheese? Most bags contain a coating on the cheese and it get like a blob when making a sauce.
Thanks for sharing! I will make this today.
Greetings from Athens Greece.
How did it turn out for you? Hope you enjoyed!
Home run! This is the best dish in the entire world!!!! Wow. I doubled the recipe and my guest were blown away. Thank you so much for sharing your passion!
That’s awesome to hear!! I love when it’s a hit for a dinner party 🙂 Thanks for letting me know and making my day.
Home Run! This was spot on and blew my family away! Wow, words cannot express how delicious this meal is.
I actually really liked the recipe. Very delicious. I love cooking from scratch and knowing all the ingredients used in my meals.
Love to hear that! Glad you liked it!
Is the amount of Parmesan in the sauce correct? I used 6 oz like it says and it’s a thick gloopy mess. Maybe 2 oz?
The amount is correct. I’m thinking that you cooked down the liquid too much before adding the cheese which caused it to not melt properly. Hope this helps for next time.
You need to add broth the consistency is off it’s a very confusing recipe. I made the parmesan sauce and it was clumpy. I added broth and it worked
I LOVE this item from Cheesecake Factory! Thank you for breaking down how to make the basil oil and Parmesan cream sauce! I do think you were confusing prosciutto, which is more like ham, with pancetta, which is like bacon that is not smoked and rolled. 🙂
could you suggest what kind of breadcrumbs to use? brand or type
I actually forget what brand I used (might have been on sale at the grocery store). You can use whatever brand you prefer. 🙂
When do you add the Parmesan Cream Sauce into the dish? I see where you add additional sauce at the end, but not sure where to add it otherwise. Thank you!
Thanks for catching that! You’ll want to just add it at the end when you’re plating it to serve. Hope you enjoy it!
The Chicken Bellagio is my fave from Cheesecake Factory. I especially like their pesto sauce! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Looks interesting, I’m willing to give it a try (I’ve never had it at the cheesecake factory cos there’s none around her, so I can’t compare)
Note: Pancetta is cured pork belly, prosciutto is cured pork leg
It looks absolutely delicious and decadent!! Looking forward to trying this recipe. Question: Are you using pancetta (which is usually rolled, salt-cured, unsmoked pork that requires cooking) or prosciutto (cured pork/ham that does NOT require cooking)?
Thank you so much for catching that! I just edited to show correctly now but yes, I’m using prosciutto not pancetta. I’ve got to have more coffee while editing, lol!!
Should I add prosciutto right from package or do I add it after it’s sautéed a bit?
No need to sautee it first.
I need a napkin to wipe my mouth, because just looking at this dish makes my mouth water. Yummy!
Thanks Ivory!
Nothing better than an easy and delicious dinner!
Definitely!
Is there a way I can make the basil oil without a food processor?
You could use a blender.
This looks fantastic!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
Thanks Katerina!
Wow what a great dinner recipe. It does truly look sensational. I wish I could have had something similar like this tonight!
Thanks!
I want to eat some of this right now!
Thanks Delaney!
This is my go to dish when I am at The Cheesecake Factory. I am so excited to try and make it at home now. It looks delicious.
Thanks! I’d love to hear what you think after making it!
Love copycat recipes, especially this one! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome!