Tinis Creamy Chicken Pasta (Printable view)

Tender shredded chicken and penne tossed in a silky cream sauce with garlic and Parmesan cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz penne pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (12 oz, rotisserie or homemade)

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 1 tbsp olive oil
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - ½ cup chicken broth
09 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
11 - ½ tsp dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
14 - Extra grated Parmesan, to serve

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente as per package directions. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking water. Set aside.
02 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add chicken broth to the skillet, scraping up browned bits, and simmer for 2 minutes.
04 - Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Add Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, stirring constantly until melted and sauce is smooth.
05 - Incorporate dried Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper to taste into the sauce.
06 - Add shredded chicken and cooked penne to the skillet. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly with the sauce. If the sauce appears too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
07 - Remove skillet from heat. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes, which means dinner doesn't feel like a production.
  • The sauce is silky enough to make you feel like you know what you're doing in the kitchen, even if you're just starting out.
  • It's the kind of dish people actually ask for seconds of, no apologies needed.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy after adding cream, you went too high with the heat—next time, lower it before the cream goes in and you'll have silk instead of scrambles.
  • Pasta water is a secret weapon; those starchy molecules actually help the sauce cling to the pasta, so don't feel weird about using it.
  • Don't let the finished dish sit for long before eating, because the pasta continues to absorb sauce and what was creamy becomes thick and clingy.
03 -
  • Keeping your skillet over medium or low heat is the most important thing—high heat will split your cream and ruin your evening, while low heat gives you time to compose the sauce thoughtfully.
  • Don't drain your pasta completely dry; a little moisture clinging to it helps it catch and hold the sauce rather than sitting on top of it.
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