Chicken Pot Pie Pasta (Printable Version)
Creamy pasta with tender chicken, vegetables, and luscious pot pie-inspired sauce.
# 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 (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
→ Pantry Staples
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
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the short pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, peas, and carrots. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Melt the butter in the cleared space and sprinkle the flour over it. Whisk constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to form a smooth roux and cook off the raw flour taste.
04 - Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, making sure no lumps form. Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream. Stir continuously for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
05 - Fold in the cooked chicken, Parmesan cheese, dried thyme, and dried parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese melts and the chicken is warmed through.
06 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently until every strand is evenly coated in the creamy sauce. Let everything heat through for 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Serve hot in shallow bowls. Garnish with extra chopped parsley if desired. For a golden pot pie-style crust, top with buttered breadcrumbs and broil for 2 to 3 minutes.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- It captures everything you crave from chicken pot pie without the fuss of making an actual crust.
- The creamy sauce clings to every curve of rotini like it was meant to be there.
- Cleanup is minimal since everything happens in one skillet.
02 -
- Add the broth slowly while whisking constantly, because once lumps form they are nearly impossible to fix.
- The sauce continues to thicken off the heat, so pull it from the stove just before it looks perfect.
03 -
- Shred your own Parmesan from a block rather than using the pre-grated kind, because it melts smoother and tastes significantly better.
- Let the chicken sit in the sauce for a minute before adding the pasta so it absorbs some of that herby, creamy flavor.