My butter chicken pasta is a rich, creamy dish inspired by the flavors of India. Seasoned cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts are cooked in ghee, then added to a rich, creamy, boldly-seasoned sauce along with gluten-free pasta for a dish that's easy to make and full of flavor.
As you might imagine, gluten free pasta recipes have a special place in my heart. I'm Italian, after all! And while I love all kinds of delicious Italian pasta dishes, one thing that's so great about any noodle is that you can pair them with so many different kinds of flavors.
Rich, creamy pastas like my Million Dollar spaghetti recipe are always crowd-pleasers, and when you have kids, that's always what you're after, right?
Although I love traditional pasta dishes, I also love getting creative with my recipes, which is why I really love this butter chicken recipe. It combines my love of creamy pasta dishes with the flavors of India to create a pasta that's rich, creamy, and full of zesty flavor. It's also incredibly easy to make, and that never hurts!
I love serving this buttered chicken pasta when I want a tasty dinner on a busy weeknight. Although it's a quick and easy chicken pasta dish, it tastes like something that involved quite a bit more work and time. So I get dinner on the table fast and look like a dinnertime superhero. Hey, it's the little things, right?
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients found in your kitchen or at your local grocery store. Even the Ghee can be found at most stores or online at Amazon.
- Easy: This is a one-pan meal that's ready in just about 30 minutes.
- Flavorful: This recipe explodes with flavor in every bite thanks to its bold seasonings.
- A Tasty Mashup: The combination of Indian flavors like ghee, cumin, and almond butter with tender chicken and fusilli pasta creates a delicious mashup of Italian and Asian flavors you'll love.
- Feeds a Crowd: Not only is this recipe easy, but it makes enough to feed a hungry family. A VERY hungry family.
Ingredients
4th & Heart Himalayan Pink Salt Ghee is the brand I prefer. It's non-GMO, lactose and casein-free, and certified paleo.
Refer to the recipe card at the end of the post for a complete list of ingredients and their precise quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Chicken: You can use cubed chicken thighs, cubed pork chops, or your favorite shellfish in this recipe.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes for a milder version of this recipe.
- Extra Spicy: Add diced red chilis for even more heat and flavor.
- Lactose-Free: Use plant milk to make a lactose-free version of this recipe. Ghee is naturally lactose-free, so there's no need to substitute it with plant butter.
- Pasta: I prefer fusilli, but you can use any textured, short noodle for this recipe.
How to Make This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
Step 1: Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Then, drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water. Cut the chicken into cubes. Then, toss them with the chicken seasonings until evenly coated. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken in the ghee until no longer pink. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to medium-low and saute the garlic and minced onion in the salted ghee until fragrant. Next, add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, and seasonings, and stir well.
Step 4: Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Then, add the heavy cream and almond butter and bring the sauce to a light simmer. Add the chicken and stir again.
Step 5: Add the pasta and gently stir. Then, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
Expert Tips
- Either rinse your pasta with cold water when it's cooked to al dente or drain it a minute or two before the time indicated on the box. This ensures it won't overcook when you add it to the simmering sauce.
- Normally, you don't have to wash chicken. But rinsing and patting it dry in this case allows the seasonings to stick to it more readily.
- Let the minced onion and garlic cook in the tomato mixture until they are fragrant, releasing as much flavor as possible into the sauce.
- Bring your sauce to a slight simmer. It should only bubble the tiniest bit. This prevents the cream from curdling.
Butter Chicken Pasta FAQ
Ghee is a type of clarified butter made by melting the butter to remove the milk solids from the fat.
Yes, ghee is safe for people who are lactose intolerant. Because the milk solids are removed from the ghee, it contains no lactose.
Ghee has a nutty, roasted, or caramel-like flavor that's often described as richer and cleaner than butter.
You can use regular butter instead of ghee, but the flavor profile of the dish will change somewhat. In addition, if you're lactose-intolerant, you'll have to use a plant butter substitution.
📖 Recipe
Butter Chicken Pasta
Video
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon 4th & Heart Himalayan Pink Salt Ghee (Jar)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ginger
For the Pasta and Sauce
- 12 oz gluten-free fusilli
- 4 tablespoon 4th & Heart Salted Ghee Butter (Stick)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cilantro
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon almond butter natural
- 1 cup pasta water
- fresh cilantro for garnish diced
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set it aside.
- Wash and pat the chicken dry. Then, dice it into cubes.
- Add the chicken, lemon juice, salt, coriander, garlic powder, turmeric, black pepper, and ginger to a bowl and stir well to coat evenly.
- Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the chicken and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently until it's no longer pink and the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
For the Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the salted ghee butter. Add the garlic and onion to the melted ghee and cook for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring.
- Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, cumin, crushed red pepper, cilantro, and salt, and stir well. At this point, add about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Stir in the almond butter and heavy cream and bring the mixture to a slight simmer.
- Add the chicken and stir well. Then, add the pasta and gently stir. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate this dish for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Because the sauce is made with cream, freezing is not recommended.
- To reheat the chicken, cook it in a saucepan over medium-low heat or microwave at 30-second intervals until heated through.
- When rinsing your chicken, hold it as close to the bottom of the sink as possible and use a gentle stream of water to reduce or eliminate splashing.
- Wash your sink, counters, and hands immediately after washing the chicken.
- Either rinse your pasta with cold water when it's cooked to al dente or drain it a minute or two before the time indicated on the box. This ensures it won't overcook when you add it to the simmering sauce.
- Let the minced onion and garlic cook in the tomato mixture until they are fragrant, releasing as much flavor as possible into the sauce.
- When simmering your sauce, it should just barely bubble. It's so easy for cream sauces to break!
- Either rinse your pasta with cold water when it's cooked to al dente or drain it a minute or two before the time indicated on the box. This ensures it won't overcook when you add it to the simmering sauce.
Tisha says
Absolutely delicious and a big hit in my house!
Matt says
The mix of creamy sauce with warm spices is so delicious. Such a comforting dish with a unique twist!
NKendrick says
Yes! Perfect for a warm and full feeling! Have a great day!
Ieva says
Love fusion recipes, and this one was definitely a good one - all the comfort of the Italian and lots of exciting spices and flavours from the Indian cuisine. It's safe to to say we'll be making it again 🙂
NKendrick says
So glad I could share part of me with you. Have the best day!
Liz says
My youngest loves Indian food and I had to make this pasta when he was home for the weekend! He loved it so much that he asked for the recipe. Definitely a winner!
Swathi says
Butter chicken pasta is delicious I have tried it enjoyed with homemade soup.
Deborah says
made a couple substitutions but found this most tasty. I replaced some ingredients with plant based items and it came out so good.
NKendrick says
Thank you for sharing!
Sonja says
I just love quick chicken pasta dishes and this has a great and surprising flavor with the butter chicken sauce. So easy and more-ish!
Nora says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It turned out perfectly and our friends asked for seconds!
Liz says
What a delicious recipe!! I love the pairing of a classic butter chicken recipe with pasta. It makes a hearty and flavorful dinner.