Chicken White Sauce Pasta
For white sauce pasta, the secret to a smooth sauce is that the cheese goes in on the lowest heat or with the heat off and is stirred until it melts — high heat makes the cheese clump and separate oil. And remove the sauce while it is slightly thinner than the consistency you want, because it thickens in two minutes after the pasta goes in, and adjust it with spoons of the boiling water.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Calories
- 880
Photo: Evangelin5 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_Sauce_Pasta_(Chicken)-Thoothukudi-Tamil_Nadu-DED_012.jpg
Chicken white sauce pasta is the quick version of restaurant food: all in one pan on the stovetop, without an oven or baking dish, and ready in half an hour. The chicken is seared first, and in the same pan the sauce is made from milk, cream, and cheese, so it takes on the flavor of the sear left at the bottom.
Method
-
1
Boiling the Pasta
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water one minute less than the package time, and before draining scoop out a cup of the cooking water and set it aside. The starch in this water is what will adjust the consistency of the sauce at the end.
⏱ 12 min -
2
Seasoning the Chicken
Season the chicken slices with half a teaspoon of salt, the paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Thin slices (about 1 cm) cook in minutes before drying out.
⏱ 3 min -
3
Searing the Chicken
Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat until shimmering, and spread the chicken in a single layer and leave it for 3 minutes without stirring, flip it for another 2–3 minutes, and lift it onto a plate. Overcrowding the pan makes the chicken boil in its juices instead of searing — sear in batches if the pan is small.
⏱ 7 min -
4
Butter, Garlic, and Flour
Lower the heat to medium, melt the butter in the same pan and add the garlic for 30 seconds only — burnt garlic makes the whole sauce bitter. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute until it absorbs the butter and its raw taste goes away.
⏱ 2 min -
5
Milk and Cream
Pour the milk little by little while whisking with a wire whisk, and scrape the brown spots at the bottom of the pan — this is the flavor of the seared chicken. Add the cream and let the sauce simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until it coats the back of the spoon.
⏱ 5 min -
6
The Cheese on the Lowest Heat
Lower the heat to the lowest setting or turn it off, and add the cheese in 3 batches and stir until each batch melts before the next. Taste and then add the remaining half teaspoon of salt depending on the saltiness of the cheese.
⏱ 2 min -
7
Pasta and Chicken in the Sauce
Return the chicken with its juices and add the pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. If the sauce thickens, add the cooking water a quarter cup at a time until it is glossy and coats the pasta without being pasty.
⏱ 2 min -
8
Serve Immediately
Serve right away and sprinkle the parsley and black pepper on top. White sauce thickens the longer it sits, so don't leave it on the stove and serve later.
⏱ 1 min
Cooked it? Rate it
Your rating tells the next cook whether this recipe is worth their time.
✓ Thanks — your rating is in.
Tips that actually matter
- Grate the cheese yourself from the block — pre-shredded cheese has powder on it to prevent sticking, and this makes the sauce grainy.
- Sauté 150 g sliced mushrooms in the pan after the chicken until browned, then continue with the butter and garlic.
- Warm milk blends faster and without lumps than cold milk, so warm it for a minute before you start.
- The juices that come out of the chicken while it rests on the plate, return them to the sauce — they have a lot of flavor.
People also ask
Why does the sauce thicken and become like dough after a while?
The starch in the pasta and cheese absorbs the liquid as the dish cools. The solution is to remove the sauce while it is thinner than required, and serve it immediately, and if it thickens add cooking water or hot milk and stir over low heat.
Why does the cheese clump and the sauce separate oil?
The heat was high when the cheese went in, or the cheese went in all at once, or it was low-fat cheese. If it happens: turn off the heat, add two tablespoons of cold milk or cream and whisk vigorously with a wire whisk until the sauce becomes smooth again.
Can I make it without cream?
Yes: use 3 cups of milk instead of milk and cream, and increase a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of butter. The sauce comes out lighter in taste and calories, but remains creamy.
Can I reheat it later or freeze it?
It is stored in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat it in a pan over low heat with a quarter cup of milk while stirring, or in the microwave at 30-second intervals. Freezing is not recommended: the sauce separates and the pasta softens after thawing.
Cook mode
Chicken White Sauce Pasta
-
1
Boiling the Pasta
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water one minute less than the package time, and before draining scoop out a cup of the cooking water and set it aside. The starch in this water is what will adjust the consistency of the sauce at the end.
-
2
Seasoning the Chicken
Season the chicken slices with half a teaspoon of salt, the paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Thin slices (about 1 cm) cook in minutes before drying out.
-
3
Searing the Chicken
Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat until shimmering, and spread the chicken in a single layer and leave it for 3 minutes without stirring, flip it for another 2–3 minutes, and lift it onto a plate. Overcrowding the pan makes the chicken boil in its juices instead of searing — sear in batches if the pan is small.
-
4
Butter, Garlic, and Flour
Lower the heat to medium, melt the butter in the same pan and add the garlic for 30 seconds only — burnt garlic makes the whole sauce bitter. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute until it absorbs the butter and its raw taste goes away.
-
5
Milk and Cream
Pour the milk little by little while whisking with a wire whisk, and scrape the brown spots at the bottom of the pan — this is the flavor of the seared chicken. Add the cream and let the sauce simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until it coats the back of the spoon.
-
6
The Cheese on the Lowest Heat
Lower the heat to the lowest setting or turn it off, and add the cheese in 3 batches and stir until each batch melts before the next. Taste and then add the remaining half teaspoon of salt depending on the saltiness of the cheese.
-
7
Pasta and Chicken in the Sauce
Return the chicken with its juices and add the pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. If the sauce thickens, add the cooking water a quarter cup at a time until it is glossy and coats the pasta without being pasty.
-
8
Serve Immediately
Serve right away and sprinkle the parsley and black pepper on top. White sauce thickens the longer it sits, so don't leave it on the stove and serve later.
Comments
Cooked it? Tell us how it went, or ask a question — we read every comment.