Buffalo Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

Bold pasta dish featuring shredded chicken in spicy buffalo sauce with creamy cheese and blue cheese topping. Ready in 35 minutes.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast

→ Sauce

03 - 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
04 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
08 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Topping

12 - 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the buffalo sauce and stir to combine.
03 - Lower the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream, whisking constantly until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency.
04 - Stir in mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until the cheese is fully melted.
05 - Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir until well coated and heated through.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives or green onions, if desired.
08 - Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It delivers all the flavor of buffalo wings without the mess on your fingers.
  • The creamy sauce balances the heat so perfectly that even spice skeptics go back for seconds.
  • You can have dinner on the table in half an hour with minimal effort.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Always soften your cream cheese before adding it to the sauce or you'll end up with stubborn lumps that refuse to blend.
  • Don't skip tasting the sauce before adding salt, buffalo sauce and cheese are already salty and it's easy to overdo it.
  • If the sauce thickens too much after tossing with pasta, a few splashes of reserved pasta water will bring it back to life.
03 -
  • Use rotisserie chicken to cut your prep time in half and add extra flavor from the seasoned skin.
  • Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining, it's starchy and salty and perfect for adjusting the sauce consistency.
  • Let the cream cheese sit out for 20 minutes before you start cooking so it blends in effortlessly.
  • If blue cheese isn't your thing, crumbled feta or a drizzle of ranch dressing makes a great substitute.
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