Butter Chicken Pasta

Butter Chicken Pasta brings together an Indian delicacy with an Italian staple for a warm, and wonderful dish that everyone will love. Butter chicken is a mix of warm, sweet, and creamy, while there’s nothing quite as comforting as a good pasta recipe. A match made in Heaven! 

Sorry, bestie. I’ve been holding out on you. I first discovered butter chicken pasta while I was still a college student. On nights when I couldn’t be bothered to cook properly, I’d get a microwaveable frozen butter chicken, and mix it up with whatever plain pasta I had left in the fridge. And you know what? It was divine. 

What is butter chicken pasta

What is butter chicken

Butter chicken, sometimes called murg makhani (roughly translated: chicken in butter sauce), is a popular Indian curry. It’s a creamy tomato sauce based curry with boneless chicken pieces. It was originally developed as a way to use up leftover tandoori chicken. 

What is butter chicken pasta

Butter chicken pasta is a fusion of two very popular dishes from two different sides of the world. It takes India’s butter chicken, that’s typically served alongside basmati rice or naan, and instead pairs it with Italian pasta. 

Pasta works great here as it can be coated in the butter chicken sauce, and it won’t become soggy as a result of it.

Is this traditional?

No, by virtue of being a fusion recipe this is neither an authentic Indian recipe nor an authentic Italian recipe. The butter chicken prepared here is very close to a traditional butter chicken recipe, but is adjusted slightly to pair better with pasta. 

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

• Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size cubes.
• Plain yogurt
• Lemon juice
• Garlic powder
• Corianderpowder
• Kosher Salt
• Crushed pepper
• Turmericpowder
• Fresh ginger, grated

For the butter chicken pasta

• Olive oil
• Butter
• Ground cumin
• Garam masala
• Turmericpowder
• Medium onion, chopped
• Garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Ground pepper
• Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Corianderpowder
• Cayenne pepperpowder
• Passata (or ready-made tomato pasta sauce)
• Water
• Heavy cream
• Honey
• Fusilli pasta, cooked
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

How to make butter chicken pasta

Marinating the chicken

In a large mixing bowl, marinate the chicken with plain yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, coriander powder, kosher salt, crushed pepper, turmeric powder and grated fresh ginger. Mix well then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight. (Marination is what adds a lot of the flavor and moisture to this chicken recipe.)

Preparing the butter chicken pasta

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil into the pan, and once it’s hot, add in the marinated chicken; cook for two minutes in a single layer. Turn the chicken and cook for another two to three minutes. Remove the chicken from heat and set aside in a shallow bowl. 

(If your pan isn’t large enough to cook the chicken in a single layer, don’t fret. Just make sure to watch and stir the chicken pieces more carefully so that they cook evenly.)

Add and melt the butter into the same pan. Once melted, add the ground cumin, garam masala, and turmeric powder. Stir for a while until fragrant. Next, add the chopped onion and minced garlic, cook until fragrant and translucent, making sure to stir well. More spices next: add the salt, pepper, kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves), coriander powder and cayenne pepper. Stir well to combine. 

It’s time to add the cooked chicken and passata/tomato sauce. Stir again and cover the mixture. Reduce the heat to low, and allow it to simmer, about ten minutes (stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't get burnt).

Pour the heavy cream and honey in the mixture, and mix well. Test the flavor – if you feel the need, you can season with additional salt and/or pepper. Mix in your cooked pasta and leave over the heat for another minute or two if you need to warm it.  

Serve while hot, enjoy!

Tips 

The importance of spices

If you’ve ever tried Indian cooking before, you’ll know that spices play a key role in the process. And while some spices can be easily replaced or even omitted completely from a recipe, it is important to be very familiar with working with spices and your own personal tastes before attempting this. 

The easiest adjustment here is the cayenne pepper (or red chili powder). If you’re someone that likes your food extra spicy, you may want to add a little more to the mixture. If you prefer your meal on the much milder side, you can swap it out for some sweet paprika. 

I’d suggest not skipping out on the fenugreek, garam masala, turmeric or coriander powder, as these provide the basic butter chicken flavor. 

What kind of pasta to use

I’m using standard pasta from the supermarket for this recipe. In terms of which specific type of pasta to use, opt for pastas that have a bit more surface area that can be coated with the butter chicken curry. I used fusilli to prepare this recipe, but other examples include, penne pasta, rigatoni, farfalle, or even pappardelle. 

I’d recommend staying away from spaghetti or other similar thin noodle-types. The sauce would basically drown them. The smallest pasta I’d consider for a recipe like this would be macaroni (that actually sounds really good).

What type of chicken to use

For this recipe, you’re looking to use skinless bits of chicken. Boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts are both great options, as long as they’re cut up into bite-sized pieces. 

What kind of tomato sauce to use

I’ve tested this recipe using passata, which is a tomato sauce consisting of puréed, strained, and uncooked tomatoes. You can also use your favorite pasta sauce (as long as it’s not too out there). It’s not what’s used in an authentic butter chicken recipe, but it is perfectly fine in the context of this fusion approach (after all, this is butter chicken pasta, not butter chicken on pasta).

Vibrant orange butter chicken

A lot of butter chicken recipes use food color to create a vibrant orange curry. This is mostly harmless addition to the recipe, but I personally don’t bother with it. It doesn’t change the flavor at all. 

Variation ideas

If you’ve made this recipe and are looking for ways to change it up, here are a few ideas:

Eat your veggies. You can add some simple vegetables like spinach, which will wilt into the mixture and add a touch more nutritious value. 

Cheese. It sounds strange having pasta with cheese, right? You can top this recipe with parmesan for that cheesy finish (though I must admit, I don’t care much for this combination).

Go traditional. Arguably the simplest change is just to go more traditional. Swap out the pasta for basmati rice or naan. Easy peasy.

Serving suggestions

Butter chicken pasta is a pretty filling dish by itself. But if you’re looking to add to it, it pairs wonderfully with Turkish zucchini fritters (yes, this is very worldly dinner setup!), paneer tikka, or garlic bread. Alternatively, a lighter option would be to serve it alongside a salad.

Storage

Butter chicken pasta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. If you’re looking to freeze this recipe, I’d recommend freezing just the butter chicken for up to a month. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it completely, reheat over the stove or in the microwave, and serve with freshly prepared pasta.  

Final thoughts

And that’s it, bestie. That’s everything you need to know to make this butter chicken pasta. This is such a perfect comfort food; creamy, aromatic, and it’s got pasta and protein! If you’ve tried it, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.