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Easy Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe is a one pot skillet meal perfect for family dinner. Its creamy, cheesy and ready in 15 minutes for a simple weeknight dinner that is loaded with flavor!
This easy pasta dish is a family favorite meal. It creamy, delicious and full of flavor. The chicken, pasta and rich, creamy sauce cooks in one pot for busy weeknight, meal prep, or when you are craving a comforting dinner. It’s endlessly versatile and customizable to your family’s taste.
We make a lot of pasta recipe and this one is always on the menu. If you like this pasta dish, you should try this Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne Recipe, Kielbasa Pasta, Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta and Italian Sausage Pasta.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Dice into small pieces
- Olive Oil – Use oil of your choice
- Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
- Butter – We used unsalted butter
- Heavy Cream – Gives the sauce a creamy base
- Chicken Broth – See Chicken broth substitutes if you are out
- Parmesan Cheese – We used grated parmesan cheese
- Penne Pasta – Use your favorite pasta
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Chicken Penne Pasta
Step 1 – In a large skillet, cook the chicken in the olive oil over medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink. This only takes a few minutes.
Step 2 – Turn the heat to low, stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, butter and the Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until flavors combine. Stir in the cooked pasta and serve.
Chicken Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces penne pasta, cooked al dente
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the diced chicken the pan in a single layer. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Let the chicken cooking in the pan without moving it for 4-5 minutes until browned.
- Flip the chicken and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes until browned and chicken is cooked through.
- Add in the butter and minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the butter is melted and you can start to smell the garlic.
- Turn the heat to low, stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, butter and the parmesan cheese.
- Turn the heat back up to medium heat. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is heated through.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and let it sit for 5 minutes (the sauce will thicken as it sits).
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Tips
- Pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Chicken – Cut the chicken up in bite size pieces. Make sure they are about the same size so they cook evenly.
Variations Ideas
- Change Meat – Try shrimp instead of chicken. You can also make this dish with chicken thighs
- Vegetables – Add in peas or broccoli to the skillet. We have even added in cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and grape tomatoes. Another delicious option is spinach, mushrooms, asparagus or whatever you prefer.
- Seasoning – Cajun seasoning or Old Bay would be delicious mixed into the sauce. Add in ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a hint of spice.
- Pasta – Feel free to use different types of pasta. You can make this pasta dish with whole wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta, rigatoni or farfalle.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Suggestions
We served ours with salad and it was such an easy and delicious dinner. The cream sauce is so amazing so you will want something to dip into that amazing sauce.
We love Garlic Bread Cheese Sticks Recipe and it is perfect for getting every last bit of that amazing sauce.
You could also try Roasted Green Beans or learn how to steam broccoli in the microwave for a super easy veggie side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We recommend waiting until the pasta has cooled to room temperature before storing. It will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Depending on how much you have leftover, reheat in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. If you have a smaller portion, reheating in the microwave works also.
More Easy Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Crock Pot Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Crock Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta Casserole
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Crock Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
More Easy Skillet Recipes
Easy Stove Top
Tex Mex Chicken Recipe
Easy Mexican
Easy Skillet Salsa Chicken Recipe
Quick and Easy Chicken
Skillet Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe
If you make this chicken penne pasta recipe, make sure to leave us a star review. We love to hear from you.
I know I am being picky about the directions, but shouldn’t there be mention of putting on a large pot of water to boil the pasta come before cooking the chicken? Will be making this for dinner tomorrow and will start the pasta first.
10/10 delicous! Easy recipe with very common ingredients. Worst thing is when you find a recipe and it has ingredients a regular person has in their cabinet/fridge.
Add bacon for a smoky flavor!!
So easy to prepare and the end result was delicious! The broth and parmasan cheese really added great flavor and I would make it again! Easy to complement this meal with an easy salad or steamed vegetable dish of your choice.
Every time I do this recipe, and I follow exactly, it comes out milky. How can I prevent this?
You can use less cream or you can simmer it for a bit longer once you stir in the pasta to cook off the extra liquid until the pasta is the consistency that you prefer. Thank you!
Can milk replace the cream?
Yes it can. The sauce will be thinner with milk instead of cream but will still taste great!
How many ounces of chicken is 3 chicken breasts
Generally, it’s 15-25 ounces based on the size of the chicken breasts.
Sounds great, was going to make tonight. Only question is when do I add in butter and chicken broth? On ingredient list but not on directions to cook. Please let me know , thanks for all the other great recipes.
I just stumbled upon your site recently (the ranch/bacon chicken hobo dinner is delish, we added corn on the cob cut into quarters into the packet).
I noticed on this particular recipe, you have chicken broth & butter in the ingredient list but the instructions do not indicate when to add either one. I assume the chicken broth should be added with the heavy cream but I am not entirely certain where to add the butter. Generally, alfredo/cream sauces involve flour & butter to make a roux, but this one caught my attention because it takes out that step.
Thanks for sharing all the great recipes!
(Sorry: meant to give five stars)
UPDATE: after this sat while I did the dishes, it thickened up and looked like your pic (minus the parsley flakes)
When does broth get added?
It’s added with the heavy cream. Sorry about that – I have corrected the recipe. Thank you!