Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ~10 oz pasta (penne or rigatoni work well)
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 6 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 3 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
- Pinch red pepper flakes
Mix the Chicken with Ranch
Add the chicken to a medium bowl and mix in the ranch dressing.
Set this aside while you work on the pasta – the ranch acts as a coating and keeps the chicken from drying out when you add it back in.
Cook the Aromatics and Build the Base
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, ~5 minutes.
The celery gives you that classic buffalo wing flavor profile.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the chicken broth.
Bring this to a boil.
Cook the Pasta in the Broth
Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente – check the pasta box for timing but it’s usually ~8-12 minutes depending on the shape.
Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.
The pasta will absorb some of the broth as it cooks, which concentrates the flavor.
Add the Cheeses and Buffalo Sauce
Once the pasta is al dente, turn the heat to low. Add the buffalo sauce, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and fresh mozzarella.
Stir until everything is melted and combined – the sauce will look thin at first but thickens as it cools.
Make sure the cream cheese is really soft before adding or it won’t melt smoothly.
Finish with the Chicken
Stir in the ranch-coated chicken and red pepper flakes.
Give everything a good mix and serve immediately while it’s hot and creamy.
The pasta will continue to thicken as it sits, so if you have leftovers, add a splash of chicken broth when reheating.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz, undrained
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ~10 oz pasta, penne or rigatoni work well
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 6 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 3 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
- Pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Melt butter in large pot and sauté onions and celery for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in tomatoes and chicken broth, bring to boil.
- Add pasta and cook 8-12 minutes until al dente.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in buffalo sauce, cream cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella until melted.
- Mix chicken with ranch dressing separately.
- Stir ranch-coated chicken and red pepper flakes into pasta.
- Serve immediately while hot and creamy.