Chicken Pot Pie Pasta (Print Version)
Creamy pasta with chicken, peas, carrots and a velvety savory sauce, finished with Parmesan and herbs.
# What You Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
03 - 1/2 cup celery, diced
04 - 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Pasta
06 - 12 oz short pasta (such as rotini or penne)
→ Dairy
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Baking Basics & Pantry
11 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz of short pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and frozen peas and carrots. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the cleared space and let it melt. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the melted butter, whisking constantly to form a smooth roux. Cook the roux for 1 to 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
04 - Gradually whisk in 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, ensuring no lumps form. Pour in 1 cup of whole milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring continuously for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens to a silky, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency.
05 - Fold in 2 cups of cooked diced or shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir gently until the chicken is evenly distributed and the cheese has melted into the sauce.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently to coat every strand in the creamy sauce. Allow the entire mixture to heat through for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat, ensuring the flavors meld together.
07 - Serve hot in shallow bowls, optionally garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or an extra dusting of Parmesan cheese.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That creamy sauce clings to every spiral of pasta and tastes like it simmered all day when it really took minutes.
- Rotisserie chicken does most of the heavy lifting so you can pull this together on autopilot after a long afternoon.
02 -
- Add the broth slowly and whisk with purpose because once lumps form in a roux they are stubborn to remove.
- The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat so pull it from the stove when it is just slightly thinner than you want the final result.
03 -
- Reserve a half cup of pasta water before draining because its starch content can rescue a sauce that turns out too thick.
- Let the chicken sit out of the fridge for ten minutes before adding it so it does not drop the temperature of the entire pan.