8 Tasty Chicken Pasta Recipes To Whip Up Tonight

Chicken and pasta go together like steak and taters, wine and cheese, red beans and rice, and endless other culinary dynamic duos. But the combo of poultry and noodles stands out for its incarnation potential, including a global array of dishes and myriad ways to prepare them. With that in mind, we've gathered eight tasty chicken pasta recipes from our creative recipe developers, ones you can whip up tonight with little fuss or fanfare.

We're hitting on a wide spectrum of flavor faves here, from creamy Cajun to dreamy fettuccine, Crock-Pot Alfredo, Buffalo chicken lasagna, and even chicken pasta cropping up in unexpected places. How about pot-pie pasta or Mandarin chicken pasta in a gingery fusilli salad? Anything goes, as long as it tastes good, right? Fortunately, that's not a problem here, with our bevy of adventurous recipe gurus and endless ingredients from Mother Nature.

Remember that you can often substitute the recommended pasta in these recipes for a gluten-free version. Just be aware of cooking times, depending on the type of pasta swap-in, as some cook more quickly than traditional wheat-based pasta. Just experiment based on your needs -- or stick to these pro-tested recipes as written (and thoroughly enjoyed by happy diners.)

Read more: 44 Types Of Pasta And When You Should Be Using Them

White Sauce Chicken And Brussels Sprouts Pasta Bake

First up is a classic pasta bake featuring a not-so-typical namesake ingredient. This white sauce chicken and pasta bake elevates the humble yet mightily nutritious Brussels sprout. Recipe developer Jennine Rye knows just what to do with these cute little balls of under-appreciated goodness, giving them a smooth white sauce punctuated by unexpected flavors from bacon, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, roasted garlic, and more. Chicken and fusilli join the pasta party, finished off with grated cheese and toasty breadcrumbs.

Recipe: White Sauce Chicken And Brussels Sprouts Pasta Bake

Creamy Cajun Pasta

Cajun and Creole dining often features expected ingredients such as spicy seafood, rice, and smoked andouille sausage -- but there's a definite advantage to pushing those boundaries. That's exactly what recipe developer Jennine Rye does with this creamy Cajun pasta recipe. There's no rice in sight, having bowed to the tasty tubular attributes of penne pasta. You'll still get defining smoky, spicy, and garlic-infused flavors through a Cajun spice blend, along with a tomato-forward cream-based sauce and diced sautéed chicken.

Recipe: Creamy Cajun Pasta

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

We all know chicken pot pie -- or do we? Perhaps not like you will after making this chicken pot pie pasta from recipe developer Hayley MacLean. With this tasty twist on the classic comfort-food favorite, you get all the flavors, veggies, and creamy filling of a chicken pot pie, sans the crust, with the addition of tender ribbons of egg noodles. Simple seasoning with thyme provides aromatic earthiness, and the entire dish comes together in roughly 30 minutes.

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

Crock Pot cooking has become a mainstay in home kitchens, for good reason. It's easy, delicious, and nutritious -- but it can also be fairly predictable. Recipe developer Jessica Morone shatters that ho-hum illusion with this Crock Pot chicken Alfredo recipe featuring penne pasta instead of the usual Crock Pot potatoes and vegetables. You'll make everything directly into the slow cooker, meaning one-pot cleanup and hands-off Alfredo sauce. The sauce and chicken cook for just two hours on high heat, joined by the penne for an additional 30 minutes.

Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

Veering away from slow cookers, baking pans, and ovens, this recipe is a cool, crunchy take on pasta salad. Created by recipe developer Jennine Rye, this caesar chicken pasta salad eschews the typical vinaigrette base of many pasta salads, instead employing crisp Romaine lettuce, homemade caesar dressing, Italian herbs, shaved parmesan, and a few real anchovies (feel free to bypass those fishy little flavor-changers per preference.) You'll still be roasting the chicken and boiling the pasta ahead of time, but then it's a quick toss for the fresh finale.

Recipe: Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine finally claims a spot on our showcased chicken pasta list with this yummy creation by recipe developer Michelle McGlinn. Her chicken fettuccine Alfredo recipe may be the creamiest version you'll ever make, thanks to two secret inclusions: cream cheese and pasta water. Dairy goodness comes not only from the cream cheese but from butter, milk, and Parmesan cheese. A splash of pasta water marries the sauce and fettuccine right before a generous portion of cooked chicken joins the saucy pot.

Recipe: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

This Mandarin chicken pasta salad is the brainchild of recipe developer Jennine Rye, offering a refreshing cold pasta creation that's ready to assemble when hunger comes calling. The central players, chicken breasts and fusilli pasta, are cooked separately and then tossed together with salad-mates as meal-time approaches. A soy-based sauce really shines here, with defining bursts of ginger, orange juice, and maple syrup. There's lots of freshness in this salad, including avocados, oranges, bell peppers, and cilantro, so you'll want to devour as much as possible while it's still bright and perky.

Recipe: Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

We can't forget the ever-favorite flat, wide, lasagna noodles in a collection of yummy chicken pasta recipes. Poultry may not be the standard-bearer in lasagna fillings, especially when the word Buffalo is involved. But that's all the more reason for jumping into this creative Buffalo chicken lasagna dish from recipe developer Kristen Carli. Revealing that she loves all things Buffalo, Carli suggests serving a platter of this spicy shredded-chicken lasagna on football Sundays. It's easier than you might imagine, employing store-bought Buffalo sauce, a packet of ranch dressing, and three heavenly cheeses.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

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