Butter Chicken Pasta

5 from 10 votes

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

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American, Indian

Keyword: butter chicken, chicken, chicken dinner recipe, chicken pasta, chicken pasta recipe, gluten free chicken, gluten free pasta

Servings:

Calories: 451kcal

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.

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.

Storage

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.

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.