Description
Creamy buffalo chicken pasta delivers a spicy kick that blends tangy hot sauce with comforting pasta and tender chicken. Smooth cheese sauce and crisp green onions elevate this classic game-day favorite into a restaurant-worthy meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (454 grams)
- 4 cups chicken broth
Pasta and Cheese:
- 1 pound (454 grams) penne pasta
- 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Seasonings and Sauce:
- 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14.5 ounces (411 grams) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons cold butter (optional)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Retrieve chicken and prepare a pot of water for gentle boiling, ensuring the liquid remains at a consistent low bubble to maintain meat tenderness.
- Submerge chicken and cook approximately 15 minutes until fully cooked through, then meticulously shred using two forks.
- Coat shredded chicken with blue cheese dressing and reserve for later incorporation.
- Select a large high-walled skillet and melt butter over medium temperature.
- Introduce diced onions and celery into the melted butter, sautéing until vegetables become translucent and softened.
- Incorporate minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute to release aromatic flavors.
- Pour undrained diced tomatoes and chicken broth into the skillet, bringing the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Carefully add pasta, ensuring complete submersion in the liquid, and return to boiling state.
- Cover skillet and allow pasta to cook 10-13 minutes, periodically using a silicone spatula to prevent sticking.
- Verify pasta doneness by sampling a single noodle, ensuring it reaches al dente consistency.
- Reduce heat to low and gradually integrate buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and shredded cheeses.
- Gently fold ingredients using a silicone spatula, recognizing the sauce will progressively thicken.
- Fold in previously prepared shredded chicken and sprinkle red pepper flakes for additional heat.
- Optional: Enhance sauce’s luxurious texture by swirling in cold butter, employing the classical French culinary technique “Monter au Beurre”.
Notes
- Cheese Temperature Matters: Bring cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese close to room temperature for smoother melting and better sauce consistency.
- Chicken Flavor Boost: Add 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes to the boiling water to enhance the chicken’s depth of flavor and make it more savory.
- Pasta Cooking Trick: Always cook pasta just to al dente since it will continue cooking in the sauce, preventing mushy textures and maintaining perfect bite.
- Sauce Finishing Technique: Use the professional chef’s “Monter au Beurre” method by swirling in cold butter at the end to create a silky, smooth sauce finish with added richness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg