Buffalo Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender shredded chicken tossed with spicy buffalo sauce and creamy cheese, finished with tangy blue cheese crumbles.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast

→ Sauce

03 - 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
04 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
08 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Topping

12 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions, optional

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add buffalo sauce and stir to combine.
03 - Lower heat and whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Pour in heavy cream, whisking constantly until sauce is creamy.
04 - Stir in mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until cheese is fully melted.
05 - Add shredded chicken to the sauce and stir until well coated and heated through.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine, ensuring pasta is evenly coated with sauce.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives if desired.
08 - Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It delivers all the heat and tang of buffalo wings without the mess or the bones.
  • The creamy cheese sauce balances the spice so perfectly you can actually taste every layer.
  • It comes together in one skillet after the pasta is done, meaning less cleanup and more time to eat.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Always soften the cream cheese first or you'll spend forever trying to whisk out lumps in the sauce.
  • Don't skip tasting the buffalo sauce before you add it because some brands are much hotter or saltier than others.
  • If the sauce breaks or looks greasy, whisk in a tablespoon of pasta water and it will come back together.
  • Add the pasta while the sauce is still hot and loose, or it will thicken too much and turn gluey as it cools.
03 -
  • Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining so you can thin the sauce if it gets too thick.
  • Toast the blue cheese crumbles in a dry skillet for a minute before sprinkling them on top for a nutty, deeper flavor.
  • Make a double batch of the sauce and freeze half for a night when you need dinner in under fifteen minutes.
Go Back