If you need an easy dinner that feels extra cozy without needing a million ingredients, this Creamy Angel Chicken Pasta is such a good one.
Tender pieces of chicken are tossed with angel hair pasta in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce made with cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and a packet of Italian seasoning. It’s rich, creamy, super comforting, and comes together with pretty basic Aldi ingredients.
This is also one of those dinners that works really well for a busy weeknight because the angel hair cooks so quickly. By the time your pasta is ready, you can have the chicken cooked and the sauce coming together in the same skillet.
Serve it as-is or add a simple vegetable, salad, or garlic bread on the side.
I use about 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into bite-size pieces. Cutting the chicken before cooking helps it cook faster and makes the finished pasta easier to serve.
Angel hair is perfect for this recipe because it cooks quickly and the thin noodles get completely coated in the creamy sauce.
You can substitute spaghetti or another pasta you already have, but you may need to adjust the cooking time.
A little butter is used to cook the chicken and garlic and adds richness to the sauce.
Fresh minced garlic gives the sauce a lot more flavor without adding much extra work.
One block of softened cream cheese makes the sauce extra creamy and thick.
Letting it soften a little before adding it to the skillet helps it melt into the sauce more easily.
Cream of chicken soup is an easy shortcut that gives the sauce a creamy base and adds extra chicken flavor.
A packet of dry Italian dressing seasoning adds herbs and seasoning without needing to measure out a bunch of individual spices.
Chicken broth thins the sauce enough to coat the pasta while adding even more flavor.
Heavy cream makes the sauce extra smooth and creamy.
Parmesan gives the sauce a salty, cheesy finish and helps thicken it slightly.
I keep the remaining seasonings simple with garlic powder, black pepper, and a little salt.
Because the cream of chicken soup, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning packet already contain salt, taste the sauce before adding too much additional salt.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the angel hair pasta according to the package directions.
Before draining, save about ½ cup of the pasta water. You probably won't need all of it, but it's helpful if the sauce gets thicker than you'd like.
Drain the pasta and set it aside.
While the pasta is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the bite-size chicken pieces and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and completely cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Reduce the heat to medium.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
You don't want to brown the garlic because it can become bitter pretty quickly.
Add the softened cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing seasoning, chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Stir everything together over medium-low heat until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and let everything simmer together for about 2–3 minutes.
If the sauce looks a little too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until it reaches the consistency you like.
Add the cooked angel hair pasta to the skillet.
Use tongs to gently toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are completely coated in the creamy sauce.
Serve warm with a little extra Parmesan on top if you'd like.
Don't overcook the angel hair. Angel hair cooks really quickly, so keep an eye on it. Slightly al dente pasta works especially well because it will soften a little more once it's tossed in the hot sauce.
Soften your cream cheese. Cold cream cheese takes much longer to melt and can leave small lumps in the sauce.
Save some pasta water. This is an easy way to thin the sauce without watering down the flavor.
Cut the chicken into similar-size pieces. This helps all of the chicken cook at the same rate.
Taste before adding more salt. Several of the ingredients already contain salt, so you may need very little additional seasoning.
This pasta is definitely filling enough to be dinner on its own, but you could serve it with:
If I'm trying to keep the grocery bill down, I usually just use whatever vegetable I already have in the freezer or fridge.
Absolutely.
Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, penne, or rotini would all work.
Angel hair is especially nice when you want a quick dinner because it cooks much faster than most other pastas.
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work well and stay especially tender.
Just make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
Store leftover Creamy Angel Chicken Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
The sauce will thicken as it sits.
When reheating, add a small splash of chicken broth, milk, or cream and stir everything together as it warms.
This easy Creamy Angel Chicken Pasta combines tender chicken, angel hair pasta, cream cheese and Parmesan in a rich, cozy sauce that's perfect for busy weeknights.
Don't overcook the angel hair. Angel hair cooks really quickly, so keep an eye on it. Slightly al dente pasta works especially well because it will soften a little more once it's tossed in the hot sauce.
Soften your cream cheese. Cold cream cheese takes much longer to melt and can leave small lumps in the sauce.
Save some pasta water. This is an easy way to thin the sauce without watering down the flavor.
Cut the chicken into similar-size pieces. This helps all of the chicken cook at the same rate.
Taste before adding more salt. Several of the ingredients already contain salt, so you may need very little additional seasoning.
