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.
This is SO good! We’ve had it as written a couple times but tonight I used the sauce to make a casserole. I stirred about a cup of sharp cheddar into the finished sauce then boiled 1/2lb of orichiette pasta, cut up 1lb smoked sausage, chopped a 1/2 head of broccoli (and blanched it in with the boiling pasta for the last 3 min of cooking time), added some peas and stirred it all together and poured it into a 9×13, topped with more shredded cheddar and baked 15 min at 400. Super good! This is a great, basic sauce either as-is or changed up. Thanks so much!
All I can say is… YEEEESSSSSSSS. I’ve been looking for a recipe to replace (and clean up) my ever – favorite knorr pasta packets! You are awesome!
This was so good! I used 2 tbsp. cornstarch instead of flour and gluten free noodles. Thanks so much, we loved it!
I want to make this how many calories??? Nutrition info
Hey Pat! I don’t calculate nutrition information for my recipes but recommend Livestrong’s Recipe Calculator Tool if you want that info!
http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/create/
If I were to use gluten-free rice noodles, do I still cook the same way? Cook noodles according to box directions and add and cook according to yours?
Hmmm, it’s tough for me to say because I don’t know the brand of noodles you’re using. I’d probably cook the sauce and noodles all the way separately, then combine right before serving!
Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Rice Noodles. They were in the gluten-free aisle so I grabbed them. They look just like fettuccine. But I would just break them in half. :)
I recently made this dish and it was delicious. I’m gluten-free and substituted the flour with tapioca flour by creating a slurry (equal parts flour and milk) and slowly adding it to the veggies. It worked out perfectly and even held up well when reheated! Thank you!
Does this recipe do well with other pastas? Penne?
Sure!
please rename this to Heavenly pasta. so delicious. shredded chix and penne pasta was lipsmackin’. also swear by cheesy orzo side dish from way back. IGE you are genius in the kitch. thanks!
I am so gonna make this as soon as my chicken breasts are defrosted! It looks a lot like Chicken Pot Pie or Chicken Noodle Soup…so yummy! Can’t wait to try it! Good job on the run! :)
Dylan LOVES this recipe – made it last night and he requested it again tonight. Super easy and delicious!
Pasta packets were my ultimate go-to meals when I was in university too! I’d stock up when they’d go on sale and they were the best “cafeteria food is gross today, gonna make something in my rice cooker” meal. I’ve enjoyed all of the “pasta packet without the funky ingredients” recipes you’ve posted here.
Just made this recipe tonight and it was great! Added spinach and leftover chicken and it was soooo yum! Thanks :)
I finally made it. Double the recipe because my 2 sons could eat up one alone. Well mini-me loved it (except she said not so much veggies). So next time, I’ll make it with one recipe of veggies instead. She did say next time add shrimp. Yes!!! I’ve been having so many arguments with her and eating less processed foods. Hey if I can get her to be ok with shrimp alfredo without the jar, then that works for me!
I was hoping you would have the chicken recipe that is pictured. I’ve been making these noodles for 3 days now since you posted it on twitter (It’s me Cougartrainee) but now I’m out of milk. Of course. LOL! Oh well off to the store before the snow/rain mix