Buffalo Chicken Pasta

5 from 2 votes

Buffalo Chicken Pasta is packed with bold flavor and comes together in under 30 minutes! With a few easy shortcuts, this protein-loaded dish will satisfy your buffalo chicken cravings fast!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo chicken pasta

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $11.21

Equipment

Ingredients

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
3 cups uncooked penne pasta or other pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (15-ounce) jar Rao’s Alfredo or your favorite brand of Alfredo sauce, see note 1
1/2 cup buffalo sauce see note 2
1-1/2 cups frozen peas
Blue cheese crumbles optional
chives or green onions, optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Cut chicken breasts in half widthwise to make four thinner filets. Use a meat mallet/frying pan/your fist to give each piece a quick pound (don’t flatten chicken; we just want all the pieces fairly even in width). Season each side with garlic powder and about 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper each.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and cook pasta according to package instructions, minus 1 minute. Drain pasta, don’t rinse, and set aside.
Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons butter to a large heavy-bottom pan. Heat on high to melt. Once melted, add chicken pieces in one layer. Cook for about 3–4 minutes per side or until cooked through (registers 160℉/juices run clear); remove to a plate. Tent with foil.
Don’t wipe out the pan! Reduce heat to medium. Pour in entire container of Alfredo and 1/2 cup buffalo sauce. Stir, scraping up browned bits from the chicken. Bring sauce to a simmer.
Add cooked and drained pasta, diced chicken, and frozen peas to sauce. Toss to combine and warm through. Taste for more salt and pepper if needed. If desired, top with some blue cheese crumbles and green onions or chives. Enjoy immediately.

Video

Notes

Note 1: I don’t typically like jarred Alfredo, but Rao’s ®Alfredo is pretty great—the freshest tasting jarred Alfredo I’ve ever tried—creamy, smooth, and rich. If you don’t use Rao’s, be sure to use a good quality one that you love! (With so few ingredients, the ingredients used really matter!)

Note 2: Frank’s® RedHot Wings Buffalo sauce is what we’re looking for here! Frank’s makes quite a few sauces; be sure to use the one labeled “buffalo,” not the cayenne pepper sauce!

Storage: As with most pasta recipes, this dish is best enjoyed the minute everything is tossed together. Because of the pasta and dairy, I wouldn’t recommend freezing Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Dishes with dairy typically get grainy, or the sauce can break/curdle from being frozen and thawed.

Nutrition