Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe is the fusion recipe that the entire internet fell in love with. The warm, deeply spiced flavors of India meets the comfort and satisfaction of Italian pasta. Furthermore, it sounds unconventional but the creamy tomato and butter chicken sauce clings to penne or rigatoni in a way that is completely extraordinary. Moreover, every single person who tries this recipe immediately asks for it again.
Additionally, this Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe is one of the most saved summer dinner ideas and quick cooking recipes across Pinterest and Instagram right now. For more wonderful fusion and main course recipes, also explore our Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe, our smoky Pad Thai Recipe and our full Main Course collection.
Why Butter Chicken Sauce Works Perfectly with Pasta
The butter chicken sauce is one of the most pasta-friendly sauces in the world outside of Italy. Furthermore, its rich, creamy tomato base with butter and cream is structurally very similar to a spiced tomato cream pasta sauce. Consequently, the pasta absorbs the sauce beautifully and every tube of penne captures the spiced cream inside it.
The Best Pasta Shape
Penne rigate is the ideal pasta shape for this Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe. Moreover, the ridged surface grips the sauce and the hollow tube captures the creamy butter chicken inside. Additionally, rigatoni, fusilli or farfalle all work beautifully. Consequently, the shape with the most surface area and texture always produces the most flavorful result.
The Butter Chicken Sauce for This Recipe
The sauce is a simplified but deeply authentic version of classic murgh makhani. Furthermore, the key flavor builders are kashmiri chili powder for color and gentle heat, garam masala for warmth and complexity, and a generous amount of butter and cream for the signature richness.
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Kashmiri chili is mild in heat but produces the most extraordinary deep red color. Moreover, it is what gives butter chicken its iconic vibrant orange red color. Additionally, it is widely available in Asian supermarkets and online. Consequently, it is worth seeking out as the color and flavor it provides are genuinely irreplaceable.
The Cream Finish
Double cream added at the end of cooking creates the signature velvety richness of butter chicken. Furthermore, adding it off the heat prevents it from curdling and maintains the smooth, luxurious texture. Consequently, the cream should always be the very last ingredient added to the sauce before the pasta is stirred in.
The Chicken in This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
Boneless chicken thighs produce a more flavorful and juicier result than chicken breast in this recipe. Furthermore, thighs stay tender and moist even when cooked in the sauce for longer than intended. On the other hand, chicken breast can become dry and chalky if slightly overcooked. Consequently, thighs are always the recommended choice for this dish.
How to Make This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
The method runs in two parallel stages. First, cook the pasta. Simultaneously, build the butter chicken sauce with the chicken. Finally, combine and serve. The full method is in the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Butter Chicken Pasta
This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe is a complete and deeply satisfying meal. However, these pairings make it even more special:
Perfect Pairings
- Warm garlic naan bread alongside for scooping up any sauce left on the plate
- A simple cucumber and mint raita for a cooling and refreshing contrast
- Our vibrant Caprese Salad Recipe as a fresh starter before this rich main
- Our cooling Mango Lassi as the most perfect drink pairing with this spiced pasta
- Fresh coriander, a swirl of cream and a pinch of garam masala over the finished plate for a restaurant quality garnish
Easy Variations for This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
Butter Chicken Mac and Cheese — Use macaroni and stir in extra grated cheddar at the end. Moreover, the spiced tomato cream sauce with melted cheese creates one of the most indulgent and viral fusion comfort food combinations on Pinterest right now.
Prawn Butter Masala Pasta — Replace chicken with large prawns. Furthermore, the prawns take only 3 minutes to cook and produce a lighter, more elegant version that is perfect for summer entertaining.
Butter Chicken Baked Pasta — Transfer to a baking dish, top with mozzarella and bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes. Additionally, the golden bubbling cheese top creates a dramatic and deeply satisfying baked version.
Vegan Butter Pasta — Use chickpeas instead of chicken, coconut cream instead of dairy cream and vegan butter. Consequently, this fully plant based version is equally rich, creamy and deeply spiced.
Make This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe Tonight
In conclusion, this Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe is the most brilliant, satisfying and deeply flavored quick cooking recipe you can make in just 30 minutes. Therefore, whether it is a summer dinner, an impressive meal for guests or a quick weeknight family dinner, this recipe always delivers extraordinary results. Browse more of our wonderful Main Course recipes and share your results in the comments below!
Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
Tender chicken in a rich spiced Indian butter chicken sauce tossed with penne pasta. A brilliant Indian Italian fusion ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- The Pasta
- 400 gPenne rigate or rigatoniCook until just al dente - it will finish cooking in the sauce
- 1 tbspSalt for the pasta water
- The Chicken
- 600 gBoneless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm piecesThighs stay juicier than breast in the sauce - strongly recommended
- 1 tspGaram masala for marinating
- 1/2 tspKashmiri chili powder for marinating
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 2 tbspNeutral oil for searing
- The Butter Chicken Sauce
- 40 gUnsalted butter
- 1 largeOnion, finely diced
- 4 clovesGarlic, finely minced
- 2 cmFresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 tspKashmiri chili powderMild heat but gives the iconic deep red orange color - do not substitute
- 1.5 tspGaram masala
- 1 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspGround coriander
- 1 tbspTomato paste
- 400 gCanned crushed tomatoes
- 150 mlDouble cream
- 1 tspSugar
- SaltTo taste
- To Finish
- 100 mlReserved pasta cooking water
- As desiredFresh coriander, a swirl of cream and crushed cashews to garnish
Equipment
Method for This Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe
- 1 Marinate and sear the chicken: Toss the chicken pieces with garam masala, kashmiri chili powder and salt. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Sear the chicken pieces for 3 to 4 minutes until golden on the outside. Do not cook through completely at this stage. Furthermore, a deep golden sear develops a rich caramelized flavor on the chicken that adds significant depth to the finished sauce. Remove and set aside.
- 2 Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions for al dente. Furthermore, the pasta will finish cooking in the butter chicken sauce and absorb its flavor. Consequently, slightly undercooking it at this stage prevents it from becoming mushy in the sauce. Reserve 100ml of pasta water before draining.
- 3 Build the sauce: In the same pan used for the chicken, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add all the spices and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Furthermore, cooking the spices in the butter at this stage blooms their flavor compounds and develops a significantly more complex and aromatic sauce base.
- 4 Add tomatoes and chicken: Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Return the seared chicken pieces to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked through. Moreover, simmering the chicken in the sauce allows it to absorb all the spiced tomato flavor. Consequently, the finished chicken pieces are deeply flavored rather than merely coated in sauce.
- 5 Add cream and pasta: Remove from heat. Stir in the double cream. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce. Add a splash of reserved pasta water and toss everything together vigorously. Furthermore, the starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling to every piece of pasta. Return briefly to low heat for 1 minute while tossing to marry the pasta and sauce completely.
- 6 Garnish and serve: Divide into warm wide bowls. Swirl a small amount of cream over the top of each bowl. Scatter fresh coriander leaves generously. Add a few crushed cashews for crunch. Finish with a pinch of garam masala over the top. Serve immediately while the sauce is at its creamiest and most vibrant. Furthermore, butter chicken pasta is best eaten straight away as the pasta continues to absorb the sauce as it sits.
Nutrition (Per Serving - based on 4 portions)
* Nutritional values are estimates per serving. Using light cream reduces calories to approximately 520 kcal and fat to approximately 16g per serving.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs not breast for the juiciest result. Chicken thighs stay tender and moist when simmered in the sauce. Furthermore, chicken breast becomes dry and stringy if simmered for more than 8 minutes. Consequently, thighs are always the better choice for any sauce based chicken recipe.
- Always reserve pasta water before draining. The starchy pasta cooking water is a powerful emulsifier. Furthermore, adding a splash to the sauce helps it cling to every piece of pasta and creates a more cohesive, silky finished dish. Consequently, always save at least 100ml before draining the pasta.
- Add cream off the heat. Cream added to a boiling sauce can curdle if the heat is too high. Furthermore, removing the pan from the heat before stirring in the cream produces a consistently smooth and velvety result. Consequently, always add cream as the last step before the pasta is combined.
- This recipe serves 4 generously. To serve 6, increase pasta to 600g and chicken to 800g. Furthermore, increase all sauce quantities by 50 percent. The method and timing remain essentially the same.
- Leftovers keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. The pasta absorbs more sauce overnight and becomes even more flavorful. Furthermore, add a splash of water or stock when reheating to loosen the sauce. Consequently, day two butter chicken pasta is arguably even better than freshly made.
Tips for the Perfect Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe Every Time
- Sear the chicken before adding to the sauce. A golden sear on the outside of each chicken piece develops a layer of caramelized flavor that is impossible to achieve any other way. Furthermore, un-seared chicken simply poached in the sauce tastes significantly flatter and less interesting. Consequently, always take the 3 to 4 minutes to sear the chicken properly before building the sauce.
- Cook the spices in the butter before adding liquids. This technique is called tempering or blooming and it activates the aromatic compounds in the dry spices. Furthermore, spices added directly to a wet sauce never develop the same depth and complexity as ones that have been cooked briefly in fat. Consequently, this 2 minute step is one of the most impactful in the entire recipe.
- Use kashmiri chili powder not regular chili powder. Kashmiri chili is mild in heat but provides the iconic deep orange red color of butter chicken. Furthermore, regular chili powder is significantly hotter and produces a different color. Consequently, using the wrong chili powder fundamentally changes both the appearance and the heat level of the finished dish.
- Finish in the sauce not in the pasta water. Adding the slightly undercooked pasta directly to the sauce and finishing for 1 minute allows the pasta to absorb the butter chicken flavor from the inside. Furthermore, this produces a dramatically more integrated and flavorful result than simply pouring the sauce over already fully cooked pasta.
- Garnish generously for a restaurant quality presentation. A swirl of cream from a squeeze bottle, a generous scatter of fresh coriander leaves, a few crushed cashews and a dusting of garam masala takes 30 seconds and transforms the presentation from home cooked to genuinely impressive. Consequently, the garnish is always worth the extra few seconds of effort.