Garlic Butter Bucatini Chicken (Printable)

Al dente bucatini with garlic butter and shredded chicken for a flavorful, easy meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz bucatini pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced

→ Topping

04 - 7 oz cooked, shredded chicken breast (rotisserie or poached)
05 - Salt, to taste
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bucatini and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Melt the unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Add drained bucatini to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat in the garlic butter, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
04 - Season the pasta with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Divide evenly between serving plates.
05 - Top each portion with shredded chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you actually tried.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of bucatini in a way that feels almost indulgent.
  • You can make it with whatever cooked chicken you have on hand, no judgment.
02 -
  • If you skip reserving the pasta water, the sauce will never get silky, I learned that the hard way when I dumped the whole pot down the drain once.
  • Don't let the garlic sit in the butter too long before adding the pasta, it goes from golden to burnt in seconds and there's no coming back from that.
03 -
  • Always taste your pasta a minute before the timer goes off, different brands cook at different speeds and you want it firm, not mushy.
  • Use a bigger skillet than you think you need, it makes tossing the pasta so much easier and keeps everything from flying onto the stovetop.
Return