Not sure about you, but we love pasta for dinner! In fact, we love it so much that we usually have it every Tuesday.
Today’s creamy chicken penne pasta is a family favorite and an easy crowd-pleaser that your family will love as well. Rich and creamy, it’s the perfect base for a weeknight meal, and best of all, it’s quick to make and ready in 30 minutes!
It’s classic comfort food, but with a light, family-friendly twist—rich sauce without being too heavy, plus room to sneak in veggies or extra flavor. Serve alongside Oven Roasted Vegetables and Cheesy Garlic Bread for a kid-approved dinner. We know they will love it!
If you like this one, you might also love Lemon Chicken Pasta, Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta, and Triple Cheddar Chicken Pasta.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Quick & Easy. This easy pasta recipe comes together in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Ultra Creamy. The combination of butter, half and half, and parmesan cheese creates a luxuriously creamy sauce that coats the pasta and chicken perfectly.
- Family-Friendly. This penne pasta recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser that appeals to both adults and kids, making it a great choice for a family dinner idea.
Chicken Penne Pasta Ingredients
- Penne pasta (1 pound) – The base that holds the creamy sauce; you can also swap in ziti, bow tie, or fusilli. You may also use ziti, bow tie, or fusilli.
- Unsalted butter (4 tablespoons) – Added for flavor and a base fat to cook the chicken and build the sauce.
- Minced garlic (2 teaspoons) – Adds warm, aromatic punch without being overpowering. See How to Mince Garlic for tips.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 breasts), cubed – A lean protein; cubed for quick, even cooking. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- All-purpose flour (3 tablespoons) – Thickens the sauce so it clings to pasta instead of running off.
- Chicken broth (1 cup) – Gives savory depth and balances richness. You can also use or chicken stock.
- Half and half (1 cup) – Using half and half or whole milk creates a creamier sauce, but 2% will work.
- Basil (1 teaspoon) – An herbal note to round out the flavors.
- Grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup) – Gives salty, nutty creaminess and helps thicken the sauce as it melts.
- Garlic salt and black pepper (to taste) – Fine-tunes the flavor and ensures it’s well-seasoned at the end.
How to Make Chicken Penne Pasta
PASTA. Cook penne pasta according to the package directions.
CHICKEN. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add cubed chicken breasts, 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.
THICKEN. Add half and half and chicken broth, stirring constantly. Cook until the sauce boils and thickens.
SEASON & SERVE. Add basil and grated parmesan cheese. Add desired garlic salt and pepper to taste. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted. Pour sauce over pasta and serve immediately.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Add cream and broth gradually & stir continuously over medium heat to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Some delicious additions can include red pepper flakes, sauteed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli florets, or crumbled bacon.
- Other similarly sized pastas can be used, such as ziti, bow tie, and fusilli. It also tastes great using gluten-free pasta.
- I like to double the recipe so I have enough to freeze for another meal.
Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 chicken breasts, cubed
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- garlic salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to packaged directions.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add chicken. 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 basil and parmesan cheese. Add desired salt and pepper. Continue stirring until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
- Pour sauce over pasta and serve.
Notes
- Add cream and broth gradually & stir continuously over medium heat to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Some delicious additions can include red pepper flakes, sauteed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli florets, or crumbled bacon.
- Other similarly sized pastas can be used, such as ziti, bow tie, and fusilli. It also tastes great using gluten-free pasta.
- I like to double the recipe so I have enough to freeze for another meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
To freeze pasta meals, cook the recipe as directed and let it cool slightly. Store it in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3-4 months. To reheat, thaw the pasta, then warm it on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of milk to restore its creamy texture.
Store leftovers in an airtight container 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.
Complete The Meal
Side Dishes
Garlic Bread Recipe
20 mins
Oven Roasted Vegetables
35 mins
Cheesy Garlic Bread
20 mins
Arugula Salad
10 mins
Desserts
Lemon Raspberry Cake
1 hr 38 mins
Triple Berry Pie
1 hr 30 mins
Chocolate Mousse
2 hrs 20 mins
Flourless Chocolate Cake
2 hrs 35 mins
More Pasta Dishes
Lemon Asparagus Pasta
25 mins
Italian Sausage Pasta
20 mins
Chicken Alfredo Bake
1 hr 5 mins
Chicken Tetrazzini
55 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published March 2014.
Does this recipe below still exist? The link brings me to this recipe now instead. The link below is a family favorite 🙂
https://lilluna.com/mozzarella-penne-recipe/
Thanks!
We do not have the Mozzarella Penne Pasta on the site anymore but the Chicken Penne Pasta is very similar to it. If you try it out let me know what you think. I’d love to hear if you like it more or less than the other.
It’s a Keeper 🙂
Woohoo!! Glad it is! Thank you!
Great recipe! SubstitUted ground saUsage with thinky sliced saUsage linkS. 4 teEnager approved!!
Thank you so much!! I am glad they liked it!
Very yummy and creamy!!
Thank you 🙂
Made your Mozzarella Penne last night and it turned out so yummy. Thank you for sharing this tasty recipe.????????
Oh, yay!! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 I love when it’s a hit!
Could I prepare this in the morning and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it for dinner?
Definitely! Hope you like it!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Awesome- I just prepped this and it is in the fridge ready to go into the oven tonight! I assume I will have to bake it closer to the 30 minutes since it will be cold from the fridge.
The only tweaks I made were using half & half instead of milk (not healthy at all, but I can’t resist using it in pasta dishes) and I only used 2 cups. My sauce thickened up just fine, it just took a long time. I also added some fresh basil that I’ve been growing. In the end everything I sampled tasted great and I can’t wait to eat the finished product! Dinner might have to be early tonight!
I can’t get my bechamel to thicken up…. advice?
Hmmm, did you cook the flour and butter for a few minutes until it was golden brown?
Mine wouldn’t thicken either. I remembered something I saw on the Chew that chef Michael Simon always says when they make bechamel….the flour and butter should look like wet sand before adding your liquid. 2 tbsps of butter and about 4 tbsps of flour in another pot, browned, and gradually added my milk that wouldn’t thicken and voilà. My 1st bechamel!
The key (for me at least) is to actually not stir constantly. It needs little breaks to thicken up. Not too long though, you don’t want it to curdle, just stop every minute or so for like 10 seconds. It works for me! It’s actually something I learned in a cooking class in high school. I was stirring without stopping for 10 minutes wondering why my sauce wasn’t getting thick. Then I was told, “you need to stop stirring so it has a chance to thicken”. Blew my mind!
Thanks so much for the tip!! Hope that helps anyone!!