Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta, and salt it generously (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water)

Season and cook the chicken

Stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt and about ¼ teaspoon of fresh black pepper in a small bowl until combined. Sprinkle the mixture evenly on both sides of the chicken breasts. (The chicken can be seasoned and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead).

Place a large (10-12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Drizzle in a layer of oil (about 1 tablespoon) and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken breasts and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook on the second side another 2 minutes.

Turn the heat down to medium and cover the pan. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken feels firm to the touch and is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest while you cook the sauce. Wipe out the pan if it has any burned or dark bits in it.

While the chicken is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Pour into a colander and shake to drain excess water.

Make the Alfredo sauce

Wipe out any browned bits from the skillet, if needed. Turn the heat up back up to medium-high. Add the butter pieces to the skillet. When the butter is melted and no longer bubbling, add the cream, garlic and salt. Bring the cream to a low boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to reduce and thicken — it should take about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until the sauce looks smooth.

Serving

Add the cooked, drained pasta to the skillet, using tongs to toss it around in the sauce until it's coated. Transfer to a serving bowl, or keep it in the skillet for serving, if you like.

Slice the chicken into ½-inch pieces and arrange over the pasta, adding in any juices that might have exuded while it was resting. Sprinkle the Parmesan and parsley over and serve right away.