Butter Chicken Pasta

By: Diana Posted: 4/30/24 Updated: 10/16/24

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Blend your favorite Indian chicken dish with filling, hearty pasta in this quick and easy Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe! This is not your usual traditional butter chicken, but it’s a fun Indian-inspired pasta recipe that is irresistibly delish.

creamy pasta with butter chicken in a stainless steel skillet

Butter Chicken is a classic Indian curry dish with a creamy tomato-based sauce and plenty of warm spices. Usually, butter chicken is served with basmati rice or naan, but today we’re pairing it with pasta instead to make this Indian-Italian fusion meal.

Does butter chicken go with pasta? I’ll let you make this easy recipe and decide! I think that the creamy tomato sauce pairs really well with pasta, and I think you’re going to agree with me.

Don’t worry about the spice in this recipe! I’ve adjusted the spices to make this curry especially mild, with optional chili powder if you want it on the spicier side.

butter chicken pasta in a skillet on the table. A spoon is serving the dish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Made in One Pan – Like so many of my chicken and pasta recipes, this saucy butter chicken recipe is cooked all in one pan! You’ll cook the pasta in it’s own pan of boiling water, but all-in-all there are very few dishes to wash after this tasty dinner.
Traditional Flavors – While this is not a traditional butter chicken recipe, the flavors in it are similar to what you’d expect, just toned down a bit and adjusted to pair better with pasta. Warm spices like cumin, turmeric, and garam masala give this dish its Indian flair.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this pasta with butter chicken:

The ingredients needed to make butter chicken pasta, including chicken thighs, spices, tomato sauce, all measured into small bowls, arranged on a marble surface.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. They are more flavorful than chicken breasts because they contain more fat. That said, chicken breast will work just fine in this recipe if that’s what you have.
Butter and Oil: Use oil to saute the chicken, as butter will burn at such high heat. Add butter before you gently cook the garlic and ginger.
Garlic and Ginger: They key to any great curry recipe is to use freshly grated ginger and finely minced garlic. These add a tremendous amount of flavor and make the chicken smell heavenly as it cooks.
Spices: This is where all the flavor is! Garam masala (if you would like to make it at home, I have a homemade recipe for garam masala), in addition to cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric powder, chili (optional), and salt.
Tomato Sauce and Heavy Cream: To make this luscious pasta sauce. The cream adds just the right amount of creaminess to balance the acidity of the tomato sauce or passata.
Pasta: I’m using shells, but this recipe will work with any type of short pasta that you enjoy. Try fusilli, rigatoni or penne pasta instead! Cook the pasta in salted boiling water while you prepare the butter chicken so that you can combine the two at while they’re both hot.

How To Make Butter Chicken Pasta

Cook your pasta in large pot of salted water according to the package directions while you prepare the butter chicken and sauce.

diced chicken thighs cooking in a stainless steel pan with oil. — 1. Brown the Chicken: Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken thighs. Cook until you get a nice sear on the chicken, then remove it onto a plate and set aside.

minced garlic added to a skillet with browned bits of chicken. — 2. **Sauté Aromatics:** In the same pan, melt butter and cook the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Tip!

The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point. It will finish cooking in the sauce!

spices for butter chicken added to a skillet with minced garlic and butter. — 3. Add Spices: Stir in the garam masala, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and tumeric. Toast the spices for another 30 seconds.

cooked chicken added to a deep red butter chicken sauce in a skillet set over an electric burner — 4. **Simmer:** Now add tomato sauce and water to skillet. Stir and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and add sugar. Add the cooked chicken and the juices back to the pan and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Cream added to butter chicken sauce in a skillet. — 5. **Make the Sauce Creamy:** Add heavy cream and the rest of the butter to the butter chicken. Stir and simmer over medium heat for two more minutes, or until the sauce is thick and creamy.

cooked shell pasta added to creamy butter chicken sauce in a silver skillet. — 6. **Stir in Cooked Pasta:** Toss the pasta with the sauce, then remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

Save Some Pasta Water: Before you drain the pasta, reserve about a cup of the cooking water. You may or may not need it to thin out your pasta sauce later.
Don’t Crowd the Pan: It’s important to get a nice sear on the chicken thighs, so be sure that they have some room to cook. If needed, you can cook the chicken in batches.
Season As You Go: I like to taste my food and add salt and pepper where I think it’s needed. Start by adding salt to the chicken, and then season to taste.
For a spicier dish, consider adding some cayenne pepper.
Add Veggies: I like to serve vegetables on the side of this dish, but you can just as easily stir them in! Baby spinach would be my first choice. Stir it in at the end and let it wilt!
Try it with Cheese: It sounds a little bit weird, but pasta and cheese is always a hit! You can stir in some grated parmesan cheese at the end, or top the whole thing with mozzarella cheese and broil to make it melty!