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.
love this recipe but i added broccoli to mine was amazing thak you
Would you be able to provide the flour/butter/broth/milk measurements in order to make this recipe with a 32 oz. pkg. of egg noodles? TIA.
This tasted amazing! Just like the packet, thank you so much! It’s a keeper, and my favorite thing is I had it all on hand.
Oops, I’m so sorry. I missed hitting the five star before I submitted the previous comment, but it’s definitely a five star.
This is one of my staples! It’s so easy to make, I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand, and it’s delicious. I always add grilled or shredded chicken to make it a complete meal and add protein. It’s comfort food at its finest.
I’m so happy to find this recipe! I doubled it to make leftovers and added 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. curry powder, and 2 pinches turmeric (for color and flavor). My son actually thought it was the store bought stuff, so this recipe was a success! We definitely will make it again!
This was DELICIOUS, and thats coming from a nauseous pregnant woman(nothing tastes good atm)! haha I added half a tablespoon of nutritional yeast (will try a whole Tbls. next time) and a pinch (1/16 tsp) of sage. I also used 1 Tbls. of cornstarch/cold water instead of flour, since I only had whole wheat flour on hand. :)
Ahh so glad I could soothe a fellow preggo’s nauseous soul!! ;) Love the addition of nutritional yeast – I’ll have to try that!
This looks delicious! My family loves the pasta packets also, so I can’t wait to try this. The chicken in the photo looks delicious also! Do you have the recipe for it? Thanks!
This is a staple in our house! I have made it several times, and is even loved by my picky toddler. I use 1 1/2 cups of the broth and milk to make it a little creamier. I also stir in cooked shredded chicken to cook with the sauce a bit before adding in the pasta. Thank you for another great recipe!
I made a double batch based on the rave reviews. Mine does not taste like the Knorr product and is frankly kinda bland.
I looked at a package in the store. The missing flavors are cream cheese, white wine and turmeric. Well, there’s also sugar and various flavor enhancers, but I shall try just adding small amounts of the cheese, wine and spice.
Hey Jackie! Maybe you picked up a different package at the store? They package I looked at didn’t have those ingredients, though they do sound like they’d be delicious additions!
This was delicious and tasted just like those Knorr packets, which are my favorite. Thank you!
You used skim and 2% milk mixed together?
No, I said in the past I’ve made it with skim milk, and 2% milk (separately) and they both worked out. You can just use whatever you have on hand.
I made this tonight. Kind of. I doubled the recipe and added mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, and cubed chicken breasts! So tasty.
I have to tell you – I made this the other night and my husband didn’t want to eat it at first because he thought it was a store-bought, funky, can’t-pronounce-the-ingredients sauce packet! I told him, “No! It’s homemade, silly!” So then he ate it. Excellent recipe, Kristin, and a go-to, kids-love-it staple for weeknights.