Pasta with garlic butter rotisserie chicken

This is the best way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken that isn’t enough on its own. It makes a pasta dish that everyone in the family will love.

Garlic & Herb Rotisserie Chicken Pasta

When I made this dish for my family last time, I stood over the stove with a fork and ate the penne right out of the pot while looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching. Making the garlic butter sauce is easy, and it’s what makes this rotisserie chicken pasta different from most other pasta night recipes.
The recipe is very easy to follow, and it lets you turn leftovers into a rotisserie chicken meal without making you feel like you’re eating leftovers again. You can use pieces or shredded rotisserie chicken; either works!

Garlic & Herb Rotisserie Chicken Pasta    Servings: 6  Prep Time: 5minutes mins  Cook Time: 15minutes mins  Total Time: 20minutes mins

The flavors of garlic, herb, and olive oil make this rotisserie chicken pasta a winning, quick recipe for any night of the week!

Things You Need

The recipe card below has the measurements for the garlic butter and rotisserie chicken pasta. Here’s what you need to do before you make any changes or leave things out:

• I use penne pasta, but you can use any kind you like.
• You will need about half of a rotisserie chicken, but if you have more or less, that’s fine. The recipe is very filling and generous.
• Olive oil adds flavor and makes the sauce thick.
• Butter: When mixed with olive oil, it gives the sauce a rich flavor without adding cream.
• There is a lot of garlic in this recipe, whether it is grated, minced, or made into a paste.
• Salt: to add flavor.
• Red pepper flakes: adds a hint of heat.
• Herbs: fresh herbs or dried are noted in the recipe, super flexible recipe!
• Parmesan cheese: makes the entire dish THAT much better.

Best Herbs and Spices for Chicken Pasta

Chicken and pasta are both neutral-flavored, which means they pair great with any herb and spice you want to add!  Try fresh parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, or basil.  You can also use dried Italian seasoning, dried parsley, or a combination of dried parsley and oregano.

Olive Oil and Butter Pasta Sauce

Using both olive oil and butter gives the pasta sauce the delicious flavors of the olive oil and the rich and creamy texture of the butter.  Most importantly, the high smoke point of the olive oil lets you toast the garlic without browning the butter.

How to Cook Pasta with Rotisserie Chicken

If you can cook pasta, you can make this delicious dinner!  It takes no time to turn pasta, rotisserie chicken, and a few extra ingredients into a tasty 20-minute family dinner that will make everyone ask on repeat:

Cook the pasta

Cook the pasta as usual. While it cooks, you’ll make the sauce. When the pasta is nearly done but a little tough, add the chicken to warm it up and make it moist again.

Make the sauce

In a saucepan, combine olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes or ground black pepper.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is golden and fragrant but not burned. If using Italian seasoning, add it to the sauce to soften the seasonings.

Combine

Pour the garlic sauce over the pasta, sprinkle parmesan cheese if using, and toss to combine.

First time making this recipe?  Watch this quick recipe video to see how it’s done!

• 16  ounces  penne pasta
• 2  cups  chopped rotisserie chicken,  about ½ rotisserie
• ½  cup  extra-virgin olive oil
• 4  tablespoons  unsalted butter
• 4  garlic cloves,  minced
• 1 ½  teaspoons  salt
• ¼  teaspoon  red pepper flakes,  or ground pepper
• ¼  cup  chopped flat-leaf parsley  or 2  tablespoons  Italian seasoning
• ¼  cup  parmesan cheese

Step 1: Cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.  While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.
A couple of minutes before draining the water, when the pasta is nearly done but a little tough, add the chopped chicken to the pasta.  This will heat up the chopped chicken and make it moist again.
Drain the water and return the pasta and chicken to the pot.

Step 2: Make the sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes or ground black pepper.  Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is toasted to a golden color and fragrant but not burned. If you’re using Italian seasoning, add it to the sauce to soften the seasonings. Turn off the heat.

Step 3: Combine:

Pour the garlic sauce over the pasta, and add the fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.  Toss to combine, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.

Quick Sides to Go with This Recipe

I always like to add a side to Rotisserie Chicken Pasta to get more nutrients. This simple Bruschetta Salad, a light Corn and Tomato Salad, or this Easy Side Salad are all great options. It takes 5 minutes to assemble any of these, and you have extra veggies for dinner!

If you crave a warm side for pasta without giving up nutrition, make these quick Steamed Green Beans, Sautéed Cabbage, or Spicy Asparagus in a Pan.  Delicious, good for you and ready to serve in less than 15 minutes!

More Recipes to Make with Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

Dinner recipes with rotisserie chicken save me tons of time in the kitchen, so when I buy a whole rotisserie chicken, I use half for this chicken pasta and the other half in many different ways!  One chicken = many epic dinners!

Grab that half leftover chicken and make a delicious Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo, this hearty Chicken Noodle Soup, my Chicken Taco Soup, or even my Rotisserie Chicken Chili.  More of the hand-held meal team?  You’re going to love these Chicken Pita Wraps and these tasty Rotisserie Chicken Tacos!