Simple Garlic Butter Bucatini Chicken (Printable Version)

Al dente bucatini with fragrant garlic butter and tender shredded chicken, perfect for a fast, flavorful dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz bucatini pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced

→ Topping

04 - 7 oz cooked, shredded chicken breast (rotisserie or poached)
05 - Salt, to taste
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bucatini and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Add drained bucatini to skillet. Toss to coat thoroughly in garlic butter, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.
04 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Divide pasta between plates.
05 - Top each serving with shredded chicken breast. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, and tastes like you actually tried.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand without feeling heavy or greasy.
  • You can make it with whatever protein you have on hand, or skip it entirely and still feel satisfied.
02 -
  • Reserve the pasta water before you drain, because once it's gone, you can't get it back and plain tap water won't do the same thing.
  • Don't cook the garlic on high heat or walk away from the pan, because garlic goes from fragrant to burnt in about ten seconds and there's no saving it.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet instead of just pouring sauce over it, so every piece gets coated instead of sitting in a puddle.
03 -
  • Use a skillet that's big enough to toss the pasta without it flying everywhere, because a cramped pan makes everything harder.
  • If you don't have bucatini, spaghetti or linguine work just fine, but avoid short pasta because it won't carry the sauce the same way.
  • Taste the pasta water before you salt it heavily, because some tap water is already mineral-rich and you don't want to oversalt the whole pot.
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