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A delicious and simple Chicken Penne Pasta that is the perfect family dinner. The entire family loves it!

Whip up some Oven Roasted Veggies and Cheesy Garlic Bread to serve with this filling chicken penne pasta for the perfect dinner! Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Skewers are a great option for something extra special!!

Chicken Penne Pasta close up on plate

Chicken + pasta = win

Not sure about you, but I can never have enough dinner recipes. Way too often it comes close to dinner time and I still have no clue what I’m making. Fortunately, we love pasta and always have the ingredients on hand to make it for dinner.

One of our favorite dinner recipes is out creamy penne pasta recipe. We love it so much that we decided to add chicken to it!

We all love Italian food so she knew it would be a hit. It was. In fact, it’s a new favorite and was devoured quite quickly. If you love pasta dishes with lots of cheese and delicious-ness you will want to give this one a try.

Penne pasta in colander

How to make chicken penne pasta

PASTA. Cook pasta according to packaged directions.

CHICKEN. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add chicken and cook until cooked through.

ROUX. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.

SAUCE. Add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce boils and thickens.

CHEESE. Add parsley and parmesan cheese. Add desired salt and pepper. Continue stirring until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Chicken cubed and cooked

Variations

My kids all love this pasta probably because it’s so simple without a lot of extras. However, adding extras would be easy and yummy.

  • Turn up the heat: Add a sprinkle of red chili flakes for some added spice
  • Add spinach or kale
  • Add some sun dried tomatoes
  • Add broccoli florets
  • Top with bacon crumbles
  • Mushrooms
  • Shrimp instead of chicken
  • Change up the pasta shape. Any similarly sized pasta will work.
Cooked chicken in creamy white sauce

Storing Info + Bechamel Tips

Freezer meal: Pastas are among my favorite freezer meals. I typically like to double a recipe that I am already making then freeze the extra for another day. Allow the pasta to cool a bit and then place them in a freezer Ziploc. The pasta can be kept in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Thaw and then reheat on stove top. Heat it up low and slow and add a bit of milk to help revive the creamy smooth texture.

STORE leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Add a bit of milk to help get a smooth texture.

Bechamel Tips

Béchamel is just a fancy French word for a basic white sauce. Tips for a good béchamel:

  • Cook until it appears dry or like a wet sand and smells nutty, then add liquid.
  • If the sauce isn’t thickening try pausing the stirring every so often. Sometimes allowing the sauce to thicken up a bit between stirs helps.
  • Too thick? Add a bit more milk
  • Too thin? Add a bit more wondra flour
  • Using whole milk makes a creamier sauce but 2% will work
  • Use warm milk as it mixes in better and don’t forget to add the milk slowly. 
Chicken Penne Pasta recipe with slice of bread on plate

For more Pasta Dishes check out:

5 from 18 votes

Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
A delicious and simple Chicken Penne Pasta that is the perfect family dinner. The entire family loves it!
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 3 chicken breasts cubed
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • garlic salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Cook pasta according to packaged directions.
  • Melt butter in a medium sauce pan, add chicken and cook until cooked through.
  • Add garlic and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
  • Add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce boils and thickens.
  • Add parsley and parmesan cheese. Add desired salt and pepper. Continue stirring until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
  • Pour sauce over pasta and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 618kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 617mg, Potassium: 702mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 556IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 256mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




51 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious family meal! Easy, quick, budget friendly & minimal clean up. I will definitely make it again. I loved that the sauce was creamy but not too rich, due to the broth.