Buffalo Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender shredded chicken tossed with spicy buffalo sauce and creamy cheese, finished with blue cheese crumbs.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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 crumbled blue cheese
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions, optional

# How To Make It:

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 is creamy.
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 Advice:

01 -
  • It captures all the bold, tangy heat of buffalo wings without the sticky fingers or waiting around.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every piece of pasta, making each bite satisfying and full of flavor.
  • It comes together in about half an hour, so it's perfect when you want comfort food fast.
  • You can dial the heat up or down depending on your mood or who you're feeding.
02 -
  • Soften your cream cheese before adding it to the sauce, or you'll end up with stubborn lumps that refuse to blend no matter how much you whisk.
  • Don't skip the step of lowering the heat before adding the cream cheese and cream, high heat can cause the dairy to separate and turn grainy.
  • Toss the pasta with the sauce while both are still hot, this helps the sauce cling better and keeps everything creamy instead of clumpy.
03 -
  • Use rotisserie chicken to save time and add extra flavor, the seasoned meat brings even more depth to the sauce.
  • Reserve a little pasta water before draining, you can add a splash to the sauce if it gets too thick and needs loosening.
  • Taste the sauce before adding salt, buffalo sauce and blue cheese are already salty, so you may not need much extra.
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