The Ultimate Guide to Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta
Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is a rich, spicy, and comforting pasta dish made with tender chicken, a buttery garlic cream sauce, and Parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dish, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz pasta (penne or fettuccine)
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp butter (for cooking)
Sauce
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Garnish
- Fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Heat 2 tbsp butter and cook chicken until golden and cooked through. Remove.
- Melt remaining butter, sauté garlic and onion until soft.
- Add cream, broth, seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Return chicken and pasta to skillet.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and combined.
- Adjust consistency with pasta water if needed.
- Simmer 2 more minutes, garnish, and serve.
Notes
- Adjust spice level by increasing or decreasing red pepper flakes.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts best.
- Add mushrooms or spinach for extra texture.