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American

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Chicken is tossed with hot sauce and folded into penne with a ranch-spiked cheese sauce and celery. The pasta tastes tangy, spicy, and rich, with the celery still crunchy.

Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Penne in an orange cheese sauce with sliced chicken, celery, and a hot-sauce drizzle

Why you’ll love it

  • The chicken hits 165°F before it is sauced.
  • Butter and hot sauce are the buffalo flavor, not just a bottled drizzle.
  • A little ranch in the cheese sauce cools the heat.
  • Celery is stirred in at the end so it stays crisp.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil the penne in salted water until just tender. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.

  2. 2

    Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.

  3. 3

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool slightly before continuing. Cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F, about 6 minutes. Move it to a plate.

  4. 4

    Melt the butter in the skillet over low heat. Whisk in the hot sauce. Return the chicken and toss to coat.

  5. 5

    Add the milk and cheddar and stir over low heat, about 200°F in the pan, until the cheese melts. Stir in the ranch dressing.

  6. 6

    Add the penne and a splash of pasta water. Toss, then fold in the celery and parsley and serve.

Pro tips

  • Melt the cheddar over low heat so it stays smooth.
  • Add pasta water if the cheese sauce looks tight before you add more milk.
  • Slice the celery thin so every bite gets some crunch.

Easy substitutions

ranch dressing
blue cheese dressing
cheddar cheese
Monterey Jack
penne
rigatoni

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of milk until the chicken is hot and the sauce is loose.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
576
Protein
38 g
Carbs
52 g
Fat
24 g
Fiber
3 g

Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients