Creamy garlic chicken penne pasta recipe – Food 4 Kitchen

Creamy garlic chicken penne pasta is a delicious and quick combination that is filling as well. I like to make it when I have a lot of people to feed because it’s easy for me to just cook in large pans, rather than trying to cook one dish for all the people. This dish can be eaten hot or cold and is also excellent with some barbecue sauce drizzled on top.

Taking the whole process from start to finish takes about one hour. And it’s great to feed a lot of people with a dish they can eat hot or cold as well. I usually double or triple this recipe for large gatherings.

Creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

Ingredients for creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

• 12 ounces of penne pasta (fresh or dried).
• 1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 16 ounces (1 pound) small mushrooms, trimmed and sliced.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 2 cups chicken broth *2 tablespoons butter *1 large onion, finely chopped.
• Salt to taste and black pepper to taste – 1/2 teaspoon.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced.
• 1 teaspoon dried basil.
• 1 cup whipping cream.
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed.

Ingredients for creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

Besides, you can see lemon garlic pasta here: https://food4kitchen.com/lemon-garlic-pasta/

How to make creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

1. The pasta should be al dente when cooked according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. A large skillet should be heated over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir frequently for one minute after adding garlic.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil; return to a boil. Return the penne pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and add it back to the pan along with mushrooms; stir well and set aside on low heat.
4. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; add basil, salt, pepper, garlic and onion to form a paste; continue cooking for 3 minutes or until seeds begin popping up from the mixture.
5. Stir in whipping cream into a mixture in a skillet on low heat for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly (do not let it boil). Add cream cheese cubes and stir until smooth.
6. Add sauce to the chicken penne pasta and serve warm or chilled.

We serve this dish with a salad garnished with sweet basil leaves and roasted red onions (a good sesame seed pesto may also be added). *Chicken broth can be replaced with more water if needed.

Make creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

Cooking notes for creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

1. I used 12 ounces of dried pasta to make this recipe for 9 servings (double or triple if serving more people).
2. The recipe below yields the same quantity of creamy garlic chicken penne pasta but with fresh whole wheat pasta.
3. Ready-made pesto can be substituted for homemade if preferred. Use only green basil leaves in this recipe; if using white basil leaves, use only two tablespoons of the pesto to replace the whole amount. You may wish to add some dollops of good buttery mascarpone cheese on top in planning the serving.
4. This dish can be served chilled or warm, depending on how quickly you want to serve it.
5. It is also good with some barbecue sauce drizzled over it as another option.
6. Use your choice of mushrooms, such as white buttons, portobello or oyster mushrooms to change the flavor profile slightly. The same can be done with shrimp too; fresh shrimp (deveined and peeled) or frozen shrimp may be used with this recipe to save time and effort in preparation; only use fresh white button mushrooms and some freshly chopped parsley for garnish if using frozen shrimp, however (and not the ones already included in canned chicken broth cubes).
7. Cooking the sauce of butter, onion, and basil paste can be omitted; a paste made out of equal parts dried basil and parsley may be used instead. But I would prefer to cook the garlic-herb mixture in a skillet for better flavor than to use a paste.
8. This dish can also be served cold by quenching it with plain tomato sauce or some store-bought spaghetti sauce (with garlic) as another option (this is my favorite way to serve it).
9. I use chicken broth in this recipe for its better flavor, but any preferred broth may be used with this dish (lamb stock or beef broth are a choice too) if desired.

Serve creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

Some questions about creamy garlic chicken penne pasta

Can dairy products or soy products be used in this recipe?

 Dairy products or soy products may be substituted in this recipe if desired; I personally like it with dairy products but you can also use soy products in this dish.

Delicious esoteric recipe: Creamy garlic pasta

Can this recipe be made with seafood?

 Yes, this recipe may be made with shrimp or fish fillet instead of chicken to make a different version of this dish.

Can the sauce be prepared beforehand and reheated before adding to the skillet? 

Yes, that is an option; you may also prepare the pasta in advance and reheat it on low heat when needed.

Can I use other types of pasta in this dish?

Yes, you may substitute the penne for any other type of pasta (for example, whole-wheat spaghetti or gluten-free spaghetti) to make a different version of this dish.

How can you make creamy garlic chicken penne pasta even more flavorful?

The flavors will be more intense if you saute the onions for a few minutes before adding the garlic; it is also nice to caramelize them slightly after the addition of garlic. More herbs may also be added to the dish; I personally like basil but you may also use parsley or thyme.

Can creamy garlic chicken penne pasta be served without any cheese?

Yes, it can; I always try to make vegetarian dishes sometimes for my kids, so I usually omit the cheese from their servings. It is still very tasty when served this way.

What other ingredients may be added to this dish?

Add some chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the dish for a different flavor profile. Cooked shrimp or fish cubes may also be added for a seafood version of this dish; to make a creamier pasta, replace some of the chicken broth with canned condensed coconut milk instead.

Creamy garlic chicken penne pasta is a dish that is good both in taste and nutrition. It takes less than 20 minutes to make it and is a good source of protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and vitamin C. In addition to this chicken penne pasta recipe, you may find other similar foods from the following categories: chicken recipes and chicken pasta dishes.

source https://food4kitchen.com/creamy-garlic-chicken-penne-pasta/