Maybe you want chicken for supper and have some chicken breasts in the refrigerator but desire something out of the ordinary to feed your family. You could be feeling tired and lazy and in need of something quick and easy to make for supper that your family will love eating. This recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pasta fits the bill on all counts!
Or have you ever found yourself with a quantity of leftover cooked chicken and not known what to do with it? Perhaps you have picked up a rotisserie chicken at the shops and are wanting to do something different with it.
Not only does it make a great use of leftover cooked chicken, but it is quick and easy to make as well. Always supposing you already have the cooked chicken to use, you can have it on the dinner table in less than half an hour from start to finish!
Even if you do not have cooked chicken, it is quite easy to poach a few chicken breasts ready to use in this recipe as well. Simply put 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts into a saucepan and cover with chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then turn the saucepan off. Let it sit until cooled down. Remove the chicken from the stock and shred with a fork.
Easy peasy! You are well on your way to having a tasty dish of Buffalo Chicken Pasta to serve your family! This is a wonderful way to shake up and add some interest to your family dining menus!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO COOK BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA
You will find that the ingredients list for Buffalo Chicken Pasta is really quite simple. It may look like a lot, but when you look at them, I think you will find that you already have most or all of the ingredients in your house!
| INGREDIENTS |
| 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken breast meat |
| 12 ounces uncooked penne (about 3 cups) |
| 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed |
| 1/3 cup of buffalo sauce |
| ½ cup chicken stock |
| 1 tsp sweet paprika |
| 1 tsp garlic powder |
| ½ tsp fine sea salt |
| ½ tsp ground black pepper |
| ¾ cup prepared blue cheese dressing |
| chopped scallions |
| crushed red pepper flakes |
HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA SUCCESSFULLY
This has to be one of the simplest recipes to make. You can be guaranteed success if you follow my handy hints, tips, and advice!
- Read through the recipe several times before beginning to cook Buffalo Chicken Pasta. This enables you to be completely familiar with any equipment you might need to use, ingredients required, and the steps you need to take.
- Measure out and gather all of your ingredients into one place, and double check them before you begin. (When you make these two steps a habit you will find yourself making less mistakes in the kitchen. No more ingredients or steps left out by accident.)
- Shred your chicken to use in this recipe. I like to use only breast meat. Shredding your chicken rather than cubing it, adds visual and textural interest.
- Make sure you cook your pasta in a large pan of lightly salted water, and that the water is at a rolling boil before you add the pasta. This will prevent your pasta from sticking together and it will enable it to cook properly.
- Check your pasta and stir it a few times while it is cooking. Again, this helps to prevent it from sticking together and keeps the shapes separate. Cook only to al dente according to your package directions. As the pasta will be reheated in the sauce towards the end, you do not want it to end up overcooked.
- Drain the pasta well when done and rinse it under cold running water. Drain it again. This helps to prevent the pasta from becoming gummy and gives you the opportunity to separate any that might have gotten stuck together.
- Use a large whisk to whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in the skillet. Do not be in a hurry and try to rush it. Heating them gently over medium low heat is appropriate. That way nothing spatters, and you can whisk things together more easily, with a much smoother finish as the cheese melts.
- Add the chicken, folding it in gently so as not to break it up too much. Allow it to simmer slowly so that the chicken heats through whilst having time to absorb all of those lovely flavours.
- Do not worry if the sauce seems a bit thin. It will thicken, and both the chicken and pasta will absorb some of it as you heat everything through together.
- The chopped scallions are only a garnish, as are the crushed pepper flakes. You can certainly leave them out if your family is not fond of them. I do recommend garnishing this dish at least with some parsley in that case, which will spark it up with a bit of colour. Personally, we really like both the chopped scallions and pepper flakes.
HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA
Not only is this a remarkably simple and easy recipe to make, but, if you have all of your ingredients gathered together, you will see that it actually cooks very quickly.
While the pasta is cooking you need to begin making your sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cream cheese, the buffalo sauce and the chicken broth. Whisk them gently together until the cheese melts and the mixture becomes nice and creamy. Whisk in the blue cheese dressing.
Whisk in the paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. I call these my flavour busters. They help to make sure that the heat of the buffalo sauce does not overcome everything else and take over.
Once the sauce is smooth and everything has been amalgamated it is time to add your shredded chicken. Gently stir it into the sauce, trying not to break it up too much. You want the chicken to hold its shape and texture. Allow the sauce to gently warm through and simmer for about 10 minutes. Try it with just chicken in this bufallo chicken wrap!
Cook your pasta while the sauce is warming through and the flavours are amalgamating together.
Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Once the water boils add the pasta, give it a stir, bring it back to the boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Once the water boils add the pasta, give it a stir, bring it back to the boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain it well, rinse under running water, and then drain again. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the skillet. Stir well and allow the whole mixture to gently heat through.
Your Buffalo Chicken Pasta is now ready to serve. I like to pour it into a serving dish to bring to the table at this point. Garnish with your chopped scallions and red pepper flakes, if using, and serve immediately.
SUGGESTIONS FOR SERVING BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA
This is really a meal all in one, and quite hearty. When I serve this for supper I like to accompany it with a crisp mixed leaf and vegetable salad on the side.
I prefer a salad made with iceberg lettuce with this. Because this is a somewhat spicy dish I find a salad helps to counteract the spiciness perfectly and has a cooling effect on the palate, and it has many health benefits too. Simply chop or tear the lettuce into chunks and toss it together in a bowl along with some chopped tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, celery, and radishes. Dress with a simple vinaigrette dressing.
You can make a simple vinaigrette dressing by measuring 2 TBS vinegar into a jar with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and half a cup of salad oil. Cover with the lid and give it a good shake. You can vary this by adding a bit of minced onion and chopped fresh herbs. I also like to add a pinch of sugar and some dry mustard powder.
Crusty bread is also genuinely nice to serve alongside of Buffalo Chicken Pasta. It is perfect for sopping up all of that delicious sauce!
We like to enjoy this in pasta bowls/plates. I think you and your family are all going to enjoy this simple and delicious entrée very much. It truly is destined to become a family favourite and I can see it being requested fairly often!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe
Pasta tossed together with shredded chicken and a creamy, yet cheesy buffalo sauce makes for one unbelievably delicious main course indeed. You can also have this tasty dish on your table in quick time!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken breast meat
- 12 ounces uncooked penne (about 3 cups)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1/3 cup of buffalo sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ cup prepared blue cheese dressing
- Chopped scallions
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil.
- Heat a large skillet over moderate heat.
- Add the buffalo sauce, cubed cream cheese and chicken stock. Whisk everything together until it is creamy and well combined.
- Stir in the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk the blue cheese dressing in thoroughly. Stir in the shredded chicken and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water while the sauce is simmering. Cook to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain well and then rinse under hot water, drain again.
- Stir the cooked pasta into the cheesy chicken buffalo sauce until well combined.
- Sprinkle the top with the chopped scallions and crushed red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 700
Marie Rayner is a retired Chef, freelance writer, recipe developer, food blogger, and Cookbook author. She makes her home in Chester, UK, where she lives with her husband, Todd, and their much beloved English Cocker, Mitzie. Her motto is “Life is far too short to eat bad food,” and her goal is to share delicious and easy recipes which anyone can enjoy and cook in the comfort of their own home.
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