Creamy Chicken Pasta is an easy, gluten free pasta side dish recipe that tastes like the store-bought Chicken Pasta Sides packet!
Creamy Chicken Pasta is a spinoff of my Creamy Garlic Shells, a homemade version of the popular pasta sides packets you’ll find at the grocery store. As much as I used to love me some garlic pasta packets – I absolutely inhaled the creamy chicken ones in college.
What can I say, they’re cheap, easy, and delicious — but full of some really funky ingredients. Well guess what? My homemade version is just as cheap, easy, and delicious — plus it’s funky ingredient-free!
Pasta and chopped veggies simmer in a luxurious, creamy (yet cream-free!) sauce that’s perfect for pairing with any weeknight meal. It’s like a quick version of chicken and noodles.
You will LOVE this easy side, plus I bet you already have every single ingredient on hand!
Start by breaking up 8oz fettuccine noodles.
The pasta in the chicken pasta packets are wide like fettuccine, but short, so I mimic the shape by snapping handfuls of fettuccini inhalf, then the halves into thirds.
Drop the pasta into a big pot of salted, boiling water then cook until it’s just under al dente, as the pasta will continue to cook a bit in the sauce at the end. Drain then set aside.
Meanwhile, melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat then add 1 chopped small carrot, 1 chopped rib celery, and 1 chopped small shallot. Season with salt and pepper then saute until tender, 5-7 minutes.
Next, sprinkle in 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour then cook while whisking for 1 minute.
Now slowly stream in 1 cup each milk and chicken broth while whisking to avoid lumps. Use whatever kind of milk you have in the fridge.
Add 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley and more salt and pepper then turn the heat up to medium-high until bubbling.
Turn the heat back down to medium then cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Finally, add the drained pasta to the sauce then stir to combine and cook for a couple more minutes to let the noodles finish cooking.
- Note: the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools so make sure you don’t let it get too thick, otherwise it will turn pasty!
Serve the Creamy Chicken Pasta as a side dish with any dinner.
You will go back for forkful after forkful of this yummy, satisfying side. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free fettuccine
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small carrot, minced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 rib celery, minced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 small shallot or 1/2 small onion, minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk, any kind
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Directions
- Break fettuccine into sixths (I broke chunks of noodles in half then each half into thirds.) Cook pasta in a big pot of salted, boiling water until just under al dente - it will continue cooking in the sauce. Drain then set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat then add carrot, celery, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper then saute until tender, 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle in flour then whisk and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth and milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Turn heat up to medium-high until bubbling then turn heat back down to medium, add parsley and more salt and pepper then cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly, 5 minutes.
- Add pasta to the sauce then stir to combine and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Notes
- Serve with chicken and a roasted veggie.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made it with some substitutions and it was phenomenal! the changes I made were bow tie pasta (what I had on hand) and at the suggestion of other reviews, added some tumeric (a pinch) about 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder, and a splash (maybe a half ounce) of white wine. I also substituted broccoli (about 2/3 cup chopped) for the celery and carrots because that’s my kids preferred vegetable, she won’t eat cooked carrots or cooked celery. I served it as a side dish with oven roasted chicken leg quarters and garden salad. My daughter had 3 servings of the pasta and asked if I could make more!
Oh I love that!! So glad this was a hit with your family, Moni! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Ingredients that will make this recipe taste like the real thing: Celery salt ( I wouldn’t replace all of the salt with Celery salt, but this adds to the flavor), MSG, Sugar, and Umami, these add to the sweetness and savoriness the Knorr brand has. Apologies for the lack of measurements, but like most classic home cooks, I typically eyeball the amount. These really do leave it tasting very similar to the Knorr brand.
Totally get it — thanks for your feedback!
Delicious!!! I made this yesterday but not gluten free bc I don’t need to. I was craving that pack of Knorr noodles but didn’t want to go to supermarket so I found your recipe. I added turmeric and garlic power but next time I’ll need a bit more salt and paprika. It was fast and easy and didn’t have the fake flavor of the packet. Thanks for this recipe and thanks for not calling for weird ingredients as I had everything on hand.
I made this tonight because we had a Costco rotisserie chicken and I wanted something simple. I used some of that yummy stuff in the bottom of the chicken container, with a little water to get about 3/4 cup. I only needed 4 oz. of linguini since there are only two of us, but I used 1/3 cup of each veg anyway. I didn’t have enough milk but I had some homemade creme fraiche so it made a nice substitute for milk – I only used maybe 1/4 cup and when it got a little too thick, so I splashed in a bit more stock. I didn’t drain the pasta – I just lifted it out of the water and into the sauce so a bit of pasta water helped keep it from “too thick.” This is simple and VERY tasty! My DH pronounced it “really good!” Thanks for another keeper!