Creamy Butter Chicken Pasta

5 from 2 votes

Creamy Butter Chicken Pasta

This delicious Butter Chicken Pasta combines Italian and Indian for a flavorful, decadent dish. Plus, it's ready in less than an hour (with only 10 minutes of prep time!). Enjoy this dish with crusty bread to soak up any leftover sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs*
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garam masala*
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon EACH cumin & turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon honey*
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste or grated fresh ginger
5-6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
12 ounces short cut pasta, pasta water reserved

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Sauté until the chicken is mostly cooked through. Turn the heat to medium low.
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs*, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons garam masala*, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon EACH cumin & turmeric, 12 ounces short cut pasta, pasta water reserved, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
1 yellow onion, diced
Add the tomato, honey, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon honey*, 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste or grated fresh ginger, 5-6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Add the cream. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1-2 cups of pasta water.
Toss the pasta in the sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Thin the sauce with more pasta water as needed.

Notes

Chicken Thighs: I recommend using boneless chicken thighs for this butter chicken recipe, as they retain more moisture. However, you can use chicken breasts if you prefer.
Garam Masala: This Indian spice is a must-use for butter chicken pasta recipes, as it adds a ton of flavor. You can typically find it in the spice aisle at most stores. If your local store doesn’t have it, it’s available online.
Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Honey: Adding honey to this recipe helps balance the spices and the heat from the cayenne pepper. You can also use maple syrup or agave in a pinch. Use a 1:1 ratio. You may notice a slight flavor difference with these swaps.
Watch the sauce so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Since this recipe calls for a cream-based sauce, you want to watch it while cooking. Burnt sauce has a strong, bitter flavor that's challenging (or impossible) to fix.
Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Cook the pasta until it's al dente (about two minutes before the time on the package instructions). Then, finish cooking the pasta in the butter chicken sauce. This step will help you avoid mushy, overcooked Italian pasta.

Nutrition