Butter Chicken Pasta

This Butter Chicken Pasta is a rich and creamy dinner inspired by classic Indian flavors. Tender boneless skinless chicken breast is seasoned and cooked in ghee, then tossed in a bold, creamy butter chicken sauce with gluten-free pasta for an easy weeknight meal packed with comforting 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 one thing that's so great about pasta is that you can pair it with so many different kinds of flavors.

Rich, creamy pastas like my Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe are always crowd-pleasers. Pastas are also a perfect pairing with my Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe.

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 dish that's rich, creamy, and full of bold 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?

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easy: This is a one-pan meal that's ready in just about 30 minutes and uses simple, fresh ingredients. 
• 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 spices.

Ingredients

• Chicken Thighs: I used Springer Mountain Farms boneless chicken thighs for this meal. I always use this brand because they never use antibiotics or hormones, and never add animal by-products to its feed. It's also American Humane Certified, which I really love.
• Ghee: 4th & Heart Himalayan Pink Salt Ghee is the brand I prefer. It's non-GMO, lactose and casein-free, and certified paleo.
• Pasta: I used gluten-free penne pasta for this dish.

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, curry, or paprika 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. 
• Add Spinach: Get creative with veggies to give this pasta a different feel each time! Garnish with fresh ginger and black pepper.

How to Make This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe

Step 1: Step 1: Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente on medium-high heat. 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

• Drain Pasta Early: Pull your pasta a minute before it is set to be done. This ensures it won't overcook when you add it to the simmering sauce. 
• Rinse Your Chicken: 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. 
• Smell Your 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.
• Simmer Only: Bring your sauce to a slight simmer. It should only bubble the tiniest bit. This prevents the cream from curdling.

Butter Chicken Pasta FAQ's

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📖 Recipe

Butter Chicken Pasta

1x2x3x

This butter chicken pasta is a rich, creamy pasta dish infused with Indian-inspired flavors.

5 from 23 votes

Nicole Kendrick

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1x2x3x

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Indian

Servings 6

Calories 601 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Measuring cups
• ▢
  Measuring spoons
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  Large pot
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  Large skillet
• ▢
  Strainer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

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

Storage

• Keep this dish in the fridge 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.

Tips

• 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 601kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 24gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 1028mgPotassium: 540mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 854IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg

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