Description
This comforting leftover chicken dinner combines tender cooked chicken with rotini pasta in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a perfect easy weeknight meal that transforms leftovers into a rich, cheesy skillet dish everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken & Pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- 8 oz rotini pasta
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook until just al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté garlic: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned.
- Make the roux: Stir in the all-purpose flour to the butter and garlic mixture. Whisk continuously and cook for 1–2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Add liquids: Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking for 3–5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Add chicken and cheeses: Stir in the cooked chicken, grated Parmesan, and shredded mozzarella. Mix until the cheeses are fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Toss pasta in sauce: Add the cooked rotini pasta to the skillet, gently tossing to coat the pasta evenly with the creamy chicken sauce.
- Season and serve: Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- For a lighter version, use low-fat milk and reduce the cheese amounts.
- Leftover cooked chicken is perfect for this recipe; you can also use rotisserie chicken.
- To make it gluten free, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch as a thickener.
- Fresh parsley adds a nice color contrast and fresh flavor but is optional.
- Make sure not to overcook the pasta in step 1; it should be slightly firm as it will continue cooking when tossed in the sauce.
