This garlic butter pasta with chicken is super quick and easy to make. While it may seem simple, there is a ton of flavor in this dish. If you are craving an easy restaurant style pasta recipe to make at home, here is a must try.
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This garlic butter pasta dish with chicken is both comforting and easy to make. The best part? It’s so quick that it can be on the table in less than 20 minutes!
With just a few ingredients this restaurant-style recipe will have you feeling right at home.
The most common question I get from my friends is how they can eat healthier without sacrificing taste or time on their limited schedules. My answer: Garlic Butter Pasta with Chicken (and lots of other great recipes). Garlic Butter Pasta with Chicken is a quick and easy dish that you can whip up in under 30 minutes. It’s delicious, flavorful, and healthy!
Family Favorite Pasta Recipe
This pasta recipe is truly restaurant worthy. Make this quick weeknight meal anytime you feel like you want to visit your favorite eatery. Meet your family’s new favorite pasta!
Dinner in 20 Minutes
By the time the fettuccine or linguine noodles are done, your simple sauce will be ready too. Use rotisserie chicken to speed things up even more. Just toss the cooked pasta in the honey garlic sauce with chicken; add some shredded Chai BellaVitano cheese and your homemade scrumptious meal is ready to enjoy.
Honey Garlic Butter Pasta Recipe
Use pantry ingredients for big and flavorful taste. This buttered pasta is like eating an upscale comfort food. Make this without the chicken and you have a delicious side-dish that will pair nicely with so many main dishes. It is really that good all on its own.
Pair this pasta with any protein. It is always nice to have a go-to sauce that just seems to work with whatever you have in mind. I have used shrimp, steak bites, pork, and of course chicken in with fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, even angel hair pasta works well in this recipe.
This recipe is versatile enough to add vegetables too. Sauté them right in the sauce too. No worries, it all seems to work.
Ingredients Needed for this
Pair just 8 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen for this scrumptious dish. Butter, garlic, lemon, parsley, salt, chicken, cheese, and pasta. Oh, and water to cook the pasta.
Tips for Recipe Success
In a medium-sized kettle boil water and add salt. This salt will help flavor your pasta while it cooks. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the pasta container. However, in general it should take between 10-13 minutes for the pasta to be tender and ready for the sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, work on the chicken (or other protein) and sauce. I used a rotisserie chicken and just removed the chicken meat and cut it into bite-sized pieces. However, any type of protein works well in this recipe. If you are using raw chicken breasts, just dice up the meat and cook in a bit of olive oil until done, then carry on with the rest of the recipe.
If using shrimp or scallops, they can be added raw and cooked in the sauce.
Shredded cheese for the recipe. While today I used a bold flavored Chai BellaVitano, you can use Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, or any cheese that you enjoy.
Fresh Parsley. I added the parsley near the end of the sauce cooking and I also sprinkled some on top. However, if you are a lover of cilantro, sprinkle some of that on top at the end. It adds another layer of freshness to this buttery garlic sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet with a bit of butter or in a microwave. Either way works. I would not recommend freezing this pasta dish as the pasta can get mushy when frozen and reheated.
Garlic Butter Pasta with Chicken
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 5 Quarts Water Add 1 teaspoon of salt to flavor the pasta
- 16 Ounces Pasta I used fettucine today
- 3 Cups Cooked Chicken Cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup Butter melted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 8 cloves garlic minced or 3 tablespoons of jarred minced
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust as needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 8 Ounces BellaVitano Cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large kettle, bring water to a rapid boil. Add salt and pasta. Stir and return to a boil.
- Cook uncovered until just tender, stirring occasionally. About 10-13 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce and chicken. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add the honey and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Let it boil a 1-2 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and parsley. Cook another minute.
- Add the cooked chicken and warm through on medium-low heat until the pasta is done.
- When the pasta is done, I just use a tongs to take the pasta out of the water and place it in the skillet. If the pasta seems a bit dry, add a bit of the pasta water. Mix together with the tongs.
- Add the shredded cheese. Serve.
- Top with additional cheese and parsley if desired.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.