Creamy Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Talk about a classic! This creamy, cheesy chicken pasta dish is incredibly tasty and very easy to throw together. Pasta with a creamy, cheesy sauce and tender chicken is a total winner at our house. It’s so easy to make, and it’s a pretty healthy dinner, too.
Pasta is often a quick meal for me on a busy day. I always have sauces like tomato, marinara, and bolognese in the freezer because if there is one meal my kids won’t complain, it’s pasta. In fact, if you have teenagers, then these sauces mean the kids can make themselves a simple pasta. For example, my son’s favorite is spaghetti bolognese or meatballs.
This is one of our family’s favorite weeknight meals. We love thin-sliced breaded chicken breast and, of course, cheesy pasta. And this recipe is essentially both of those in one pot.
Why make this creamy pasta?
- Firstly, it takes less than 30 minutes to make, including the pasta and sauce.
- And this dish is not loaded with tomato or white sauce. The sauce is flour-based, with a little cheese to achieve a creamy, cheesy texture, but not overly loaded.
- Also, you can use whatever chicken you have on hand, chopped or fillets. In addition, the rest of the ingredients are also stuff you likely have in your pantry.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken breast – Use thin slices by cutting each breast in half. This ensures it will cook completely. You can also use chopped chicken breast as we did in our chicken pasta recipe.
- Pasta – I am using penne today, but any small pasta or noodles would work with this.
- Garlic – I used garlic powder in the seasoning and fresh garlic cloves for the sauce. Garlic can be overpowering if you add too much, so don’t add too much.
- Tomato paste – Just a little of this goes a long way. But you can certainly use more or less to match your taste.
- Mustard – Adds a nice zing, but I do not recommend adding more than what is specified in the recipe.
- Bullion – The purpose, of course, is to use more flavor with less liquid, but you certainly can use stock or chicken broth as well.
- Cheese – I like to use three types of cheese: Parmesan and mozzarella are always a must. For the third, you can use cheddar, emmental, or Gouda.
- Herbs – You can use fresh thyme, rosemary, or oregano, or you can also use Italian seasoning. And finish with some fresh green onions.
- Optional ingredients – You can also add some fresh spinach or leafy greens to the pasta at the end of cooking.
Step-by-step: Creamy, cheesy chicken pasta
- Boil the pasta in a pot of salted water on medium-high heat. Let simmer until almost al dante. Set aside (penne usually takes about 11 minutes).
Chicken
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. And set aside.
- On another plate, combine the flour with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cut each chicken breast into two horizontally. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika mixture. Coat with flour on all sides and set aside.
- Next, heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet, and cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
Pro tip – Chicken breast cooks in about 6 to 8 minutes. We take it out of the pan to prevent overcooking. If you’re using chicken thighs, cook for 15 to 18 minutes.
Sauce
- In the same pan, add the remaining oil and butter. Sauté the garlic and onions until the onions are translucent.
- Then, add the oregano, mustard, and tomato paste. Followed by the crushed bullion and water (In the video, I dissolved the bullion in water, but it is not necessary to do so).
Pro tip – Keep the heat to medium-low so the liquid does not evaporate instantly. - Next, add the heavy cream, half of the Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
Pro tip – Bullion cubes usually have salt in them, so keep that in mind when seasoning. - Then, add the boiled pasta to the pan and coat the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
- Return the chicken to the pan over the pasta and top with the remaining grated parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella.
- Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until all the cheese is melted and delicious. Sprinkle with more parsley when done.
Pro tip – We want the cheese to just melt, so don’t overcook the pasta, or it will become too soft.
- Crispy Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Breast
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- Chicken Schnitzel
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- Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Chicken Pasta Recipe
- See all chicken or all pasta recipes
Frequently asked questions
How long will this chicken breast pasta keep?
This pasta will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. When you need to reheat it, add a few tablespoons of water to help the starch in the sauce blend again.
How do you make good pasta? How do you boil perfect pasta?
Boil water with salt in a large pot at least 4 times the quantity of pasta. So, 1 cup of pasta would need at least 4 cups of water.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and stir well.
Let the pasta cook for about 8 to 12 minutes.
The best way to check pasta is to taste it. It has to be Al Dente, which means soft but still has a bite.
Then, drain the pasta dish and set it aside until ready to use in the sauce.
Can I cook the pasta in the same pot?
Yes, you can. Personally, I like to cook the pasta separately so I can remove the excess starch and water from the pan.
And if you choose to cook the pasta in one pot, add just enough water to cook the pasta. And stir frequently.
Can I omit the cream in this recipe?
Cream adds richness as well as thickness to the sauce. You can replace the cream with milk, but you must be careful, as it can curdle with overcooking.
Video
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280 g) Pasta (Penne or similar)
- 1 lb (450 g) Chicken breast (2 breast cut in half)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
Chicken seasoning
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Paprika sweet
- ¼ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ cup (60 g) Flour
Sauce
- 1 clove Garlic sliced
- ½ cup Red onions chopped
- 1 tsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Mustard paste
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Boullion cube crushed or 1/4 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup (120 ml) Water
- ½ cup (120 ml) Heavy cream (15 to 25%)
- 2 tbsp Parsley chopped
- ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (110 g) Cheddar cheese or Emantle
- 1 cup (110 g) Mozzarella cheese
Method
- Boil the pasta in a pot of salted water until almost al dante. Set aside (Penne usually takes about 11 minutes).10 oz Pasta
Chicken
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. Set aside.1 tsp Oregano, 1 tsp Paprika, ¼ tsp Garlic powder
- On another plate, combine the flour with some salt and pepper. Set aside.½ tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp Black pepper, ½ cup Flour
- Cut each chicken breast into two horizontally. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika mixture. Coat with flour on all sides and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet, cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Pro tip – Chicken breast cooks in about 6 to 8 minutes. We take it out of the pan to prevent overcooking. If using chicken thighs cook for 15 to 18 minutes.1 lb Chicken breast, 2 tbsp Olive oil, 2 tbsp Butter
Sauce
- In the same pan, add the remaining oil and butter. Saute the garlic and onions until translucent. Then, add the oregano, mustard, and tomato paste. Followed by the crushed bullion and water ( In the video, I dissolved the bullion in water, but it is not necessary to do so).Pro tip – Keep the heat to medium-low so the liquid does not evaporate instantly.1 clove Garlic, ½ cup Red onions, 1 tsp Oregano, 1 tsp Mustard paste, 2 tbsp Tomato paste, 1 tsp Boullion cube, ½ cup Water
- Next, add the heavy cream, half the cheeses, and season with salt and pepper. Pro tip – Bullion cubes usually have salt in them so keep that in mind when seasoning.½ cup Heavy cream, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- Add the boiled pasta to the pan and coat the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Return the chicken to the pan over the pasta and top with the remaining grated parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella.2 tbsp Parsley
- Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until all the cheese is melted and delicious. Sprinkle with more parsley when done. Pro tip – We want the cheese to just melt, so don't overcook the pasta or it will become too soft.
Notes
- Chicken breast is best for this recipe as it cooks faster than chicken thighs.
- Cooking the pasta separately will make a nicer finished dish with just the right amount of sauce and starch.
- Note that bullion cubes or seasonings have salt added to them, so adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
- You can add more or less cheese in the final step.
- Alternatively, you can double the cream and omit the cheese, too.
Perfect boiled pasta
- When boiling pasta, use a large pot of water to prevent a mess on the stovetop.
- Use 4 times the amount of water for your pasta – For example, to boil one cup of pasta, use at least 4 cups of water.
- Always bring the water to a boil before adding pasta, or the pasta will be sticky.
- Salt the water generously, more than you think you need, as this is the only time you will be able to season the pasta on its own.
- Never add oil to the pasta when cooking. This will create a non-stick surface on the pasta that prevents the sauce from sticking.
- Pick the right pasta for the right sauce. For example, long pasta such as spaghetti for oil and tomato-based sauces, or penna and large shapes for cream and meat-based sauces.
- The pasta cooking time on the package is a suggestion – always taste pasta to know if it’s done. Most dry pasta takes about 10 to 12 minutes, while fresh pasta often takes less than 2 minutes.
- Pasta must be cooked “al dente”, which means it must be tender yet have a bite.
- If you plan to cook pasta long before serving, it’s a good idea to keep it a minute underdone as it will continue to cook with the residue heat in the sauce.
- Never drain the pasta into a colander, and never rinse the pasta. Instead, remove the pasta from the pot (preferably directly into the sauce).
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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So good, and so easy!
Thank you for the recipe conversions. I usually spend time trying to convert recipes and don’t always get it correct.
Everyone enjoyed this pasta. It was easy to make too. Thanks for the recipe. Will be making it again.
Thank you, Mikey for the lovely feedback. Happy you enjoyed it.
Oh you had me at cheesy!!! This pasta dish looks heavenly and truly mouth-watering! I’m switching up my meal plan for the week so I can add this one to the mix! Thank you for sharing!
I rarely pair pasta with chicken but this dish looks really good and I’m adding it to my to-try list!
This pasta has my mouth watering and is definitely something I can see as the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal for everyone.
I love how quick and easy this is! Can’t wait to try it.
Great dish for a busy family week. My kids are all grown up but when they were at home they would love this. I know the grandkids would enjoy this for sure!
Nice to have sauces in the freezer on hand, we’ll done!
Thanks for sharing!❤??