Buffalo chicken pasta combines all the savory flavors of buffalo chicken into a spicy pasta dish. Mini bowtie pasta covered in a cream sauce then topped with crispy bacon, blue cheese, scallions, and ranch seasoned Panko for extra crunch. If you like buffalo chicken dip you’ll love buffalo chicken pasta!
Recipe at a Glance
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Notes: Add whatever toppings you like! I added blue cheese and scallions, but you can also add additional hot sauce for an extra kick.
How to crumble bacon without the mess
Lots of recipes call for crumbled bacon, like my Brie and Mushroom Phyllo Cups, or my Brie and Raspberry Phyllo Cups. But I’ll admit, I hate crumbling bacon. It’s so greasy! My hands always wind up super greasy, and even pre-cutting the raw bacon with sheers can be messy.
Well, I have a kitchen hack for you. Easily take crispy bacon strips and turn them into crumbled bacon pieces with no mess, and no greasy hands! You’ll only need a resealable bag!
- Place cooked crispy bacon pieces in your resealable bag. If the pieces are too big to fit just break them in half.
- Seal the bag closed, making sure to remove any air from the bag. Now use your hands and crush and crumble the bacon. You can even work the pieces in the bag to tear them apart if any parts are not crispy enough to break.
- Remove from the bag and you’re ready to use in your recipe!
Ranch Seasoned Toasted Panko Breadcrumb
This is the best crunchy topping for a buffalo chicken pasta! And, it’s really easy to make. Toasted Panko is one of my favorite breadings to use when you really want to add a crunch to a recipe. And when you mix in some dry ranch seasoning before toasting it, you really get this zesty crunchy topping.
- Mix 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs with 1/2 tablespoon of dry Ranch seasoning mix.
- Line a baking sheet with foil, then pour the seasoned breadcrumbs on top in an even layer and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes, then stir the Panko and bake for an additional minute, stir again and bake for an additional 1 minute, then finally stir one last time and bake for 20 seconds. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
This is such a savory, spicy, and filling pasta dish! And, by using precooked rotisserie chicken it saves you time by not having to cook up and shred chicken breasts! And, if you’re wondering, yes you can buy the chicken the day before and keep it in your fridge. I’ve bought rotisserie chickens the day before I was going to use them in a recipe. Even after being in a fridge overnight the chicken was still moist, tender, and easy to carve!
If you like buffalo chicken you’ll love this Buffalo Chicken Meatballs! Every time I make these there’s not a single meatball leftover!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Buffalo chicken pasta combines all the savory flavors of buffalo chicken into a spicy pasta dish. If you like buffalo chicken dip you’ll love buffalo chicken pasta!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: America
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
2 and 1/2 cups dry mini farfalle pasta (mini bowtie)
5-6 thick bacon strips
2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 oz plain cream cheese, cut into small cubes
2 cups half & half
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
Toppings
Crumbled blue cheese
Chopped scallions
Extra hot sauce
Instructions
1. To make the ranch seasoned toasted Panko, preheat the oven to 400. Mix 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs with 1/2 tablespoon of dry Ranch seasoning mix. Line a baking sheet with foil, then pour the seasoned breadcrumbs on top in an even layer and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes, then stir the Panko and bake for an additional minute, stir again and bake for an additional 1 minute, then finally stir one last time and bake for 20 seconds. Remove from the oven and pour into a small bowl.
2. Make the bacon by cooking in a large frying pan over medium to medium high heat for 10-12 minutes until crispy, flipping occasionally to make sure both sides are cooked and crispy. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Once cooled, place in a resealable bag and crush to create the bacon crumbles. Pour into a small bowl and save until the pasta is done.
3. While you’re making the Panko and bacon, bring a large pot of salted water to boil then cook the mini bowtie pasta according to the package.
4. After the bacon is done, time to make the sauce. In a large pan melt the 1 tablespoon of butter of medium heat, then whisk in the 1 tablespoon of flour. Next, pour in the half & half and cook for 2-3 minutes until hot. Add the cubed cream cheese and use a whisk to blend the cream cheese until it melts into the half & half. Next, slowly add the Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese and little at a time and stir until it melts into the half & half. If it’s not melting, turn up the heat to increase the heat of the half & half so the cheese melts into the sauce. Lastly, add the hot sauce and garlic powder. Simmer until the pasta is done cooking.
5. To serve, pour the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to coat the noodles. I like to add the noodles a little at a time instead off adding them all at once. Next, stir in the crumbled cooked bacon (reserving a little to sprinkle on top) and the shredded chicken. Serve into bowls and top with the blue cheese, scallions, reserved crumbled bacon, and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Notes
- Taste the sauce as you’re cooking it, if you want it spicier go ahead and add more hot sauce!
- As the pasta is boiling, take about a ladle full of the hot water and spoon it into a bowl. That way, as you’re making the sauce if it ever gets too thick use this pasta water to thin it out.
Keywords: buffalo chicken pasta
[…] So if you’re like me and love anything and everything buffalo chicken, you’re in luck. I’ve got more buffalo chicken recipes on the blog like these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs and this Buffalo Chicken Pasta. […]