Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Quick and easy Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta made with juicy chicken, garlic, and herbs, all cooked in one pan. A comforting weeknight dinner ready in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time8

Cook Time10

Total Time18

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

Equipment

1 Heavy-bottomed skillet or pan

Ingredients

150 grams spaghetti pasta or dry noodles

To marinate the chicken

300 grams boneless skinless chicken breast
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch or cornflour

For the sauce

½ cup of pasta water reserved after cooking pasta or chicken broth
¼ teaspoon salt optional: pasta water and soy sauce are salty so add salt accordingly
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cornstarch/cornflour

Other ingredients

2 teaspoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter - to pan fry the chicken pieces.
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or coriander leaves (optional)

Instructions

Cook pasta in salted water as per package directions. Cook 1 minute less than the time instructed on the package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and keep them aside.
Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Sprinkle cornstarch over it, combine, and set it aside.
In a small bowl, combine pasta water, salt, dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and cornstarch. Your sauce mix is ready. Set it aside.
Heat 2 teaspoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan, leaving some space between them so they cook crispy. Flip the chicken once its side starts to turn golden. Cook until golden on the other side too. Do not aim for a dark brown color, or the chicken will get overcooked.
Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving the excess oil in the pan.
Reduce the heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic. Sauté until the garlic is light golden (not dark brown). Now add red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning to garlic butter. Cook for a few seconds.
Increase the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoon water to deglaze the pan. Scrape any tiny bits sticking to the bottom of the pan with your spatula.
Stir the prepared sauce and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, until the pasta sauce thickens.
Add the chicken back to the pan and cook it in the sauce for a minute. It helps to retain the moisture in chicken.
Add the cooked pasta and toss until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat.
Add Cilantro (coriander leaves)/parsley. Serve immediately. For an extra burst of cheesy goodness, sprinkle some Parmesan on top. It's incredibly delicious.

Video

Notes

Use fresh garlic: Finely chopped fresh garlic gives the best flavor. I prefer it over garlic paste for this garlic butter pasta.
Cook pasta al dente: Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions. It will continue cooking in the garlic butter sauce and stay perfectly tender. Reserve some pasta water to create a silky pasta sauce.
Do not burn the garlic: Garlic cooks quickly and can turn bitter if it becomes dark brown. Sauté it just until fragrant.
Avoid overcooking the chicken: Chicken breast cooks fast and can dry out easily. Cook just until done and lightly golden.
Adjust butter and olive oil: Use more butter for a richer flavor or more olive oil for a lighter pasta dish. Both work well in this recipe.
Season carefully: Pasta water and soy sauce already contain salt. Taste the sauce first and add extra salt only if needed.
Storage: Store leftover garlic butter chicken pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This recipe is not freezer-friendly, as the pasta texture changes after freezing and thawing.
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Nutrition