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 agree with Deanna! A healthier version of Spanish rice and\or red beans and rice!
PS you seriously need to include a picture of Lincoln with every post! He’s a punkin!
PSS addicted to IGE!!!
Kristen, this was sooooo good! I’ve never actually had the Knorr one, but this was awesome! It was totally comfort food and I kept snitching tastes out of the pan :)
Thanks for another winner!
What is that black spirally thing that is in the dishe while you add flour and milk?
It’s a whisk!
Uh oh, this could be dangerous! This is by far my number one guilty pleasure food that I’ve carried over from college as well. Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I LOVE KNORR sides but haven’t bought them for years because they are so bad for you. Making this ASAP. This is probably as good as your Cheesy broccoli orzo recipe which is a regular side dish in our home!
Love this recipe!! I use the pasta sides for my family because they are quick but this “cleaned up” recipe is what I will do from now on and you are right…I have all ingredients on hand. Thanks!
omg. this looks delicious! I have to try this out!
Looks yummy..and if you want a workout try hot yoga!! It’s a killer
I love your recipes and am currently working my way through several I want to try. On this recipe I notice it uses one cup of broth. What do you do with your leftover broth. Do you freeze it or make another recipe to use the partially used? Can’t wait to try this one.
Yes, you can absolutely freeze broth! You can either pour it into a freezer bag then freeze flat, or freeze in ice cube trays, mason jars, etc. I just thaw overnight in the refrigerator before I want to use it!
I hadn’t run in a a little over a week, and went this morning before work and ohhh do my legs feel like jelly! I used to LOVE those inexpensive saucy, pasta packs, but definitely they aren’t the healthiest. Can’t wait to make this, instead!
always love your recipes, but couldnt help notice that awesome looking whisk you have! where did you get that? totally cute and modern! lol.
IKEA! LOVE it – totally gets into all the nooks and crannies. :)
Thank you!
I too am on the lookout for rice side recipes – my 8 yr old just this weekend requested one that I can’t even find anymore – Green Giant frozen box of rice with some mushrooms and peas – I need to figure out what to do for the sauce/seasonings.
And another question since I don’t usually comment – why do you use shallots instead of onions?
Oh – and way to go on the run!
Good question! Onions hurt Ben’s stomach, but we tend to like the more mild taste of shallots better anyway. That being said I still love onions – they can be used interchangeably with shallots in pretty much any recipe!
Ahhh! This is awesome, I love those little packets – but stopped eating them because of all the weird stuff. And, I have everything (minus the shallot) in my pantry so this would be an awesome, easy, mid-week meal side :)