Garlic Butter Bucatini Chicken (Printable Version)

Al dente bucatini tossed in garlic butter with tender shredded chicken and fresh parsley.

# 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)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini until al dente following package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Add drained bucatini to the skillet with garlic butter. Toss thoroughly to coat, adding reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce.
04 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Divide the pasta evenly between serving plates.
05 - Top each portion with shredded chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Ready in 25 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
  • The garlic butter creates an unexpectedly luxurious sauce from the most basic ingredients.
  • Bucatini's hollow center catches the butter in ways other pasta can't, making every bite substantial.
02 -
  • Never let garlic brown; once it turns dark, it becomes bitter and the whole dish suffers—medium heat is genuinely your friend here.
  • Reserving pasta water is the secret that holds everything together; that starch is magic and transforms dry butter into a real sauce.
03 -
  • Cook your garlic in the butter for the exact moment it becomes fragrant; any longer and you've crossed from golden into regrettable.
  • Having everything—pasta, chicken, parsley—ready before you start cooking makes the assembly almost meditative rather than frantic.
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