Description
A comfort food favorite, this dish blends tender, pan-seared chicken thighs with creamy Velveeta-mozzarella garlic cheese sauce, all tossed with perfectly cooked rigatoni or penne pasta. It’s rich, indulgent, and so easy to make—perfect for family dinners or meal prep leftovers.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
12 ounces rigatoni or penne pasta
1 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and sear chicken thighs until golden brown and cooked through (6–7 minutes per side). Remove and rest.
3. In a separate pot, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
4. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in heavy cream, then melt in Velveeta and mozzarella until the sauce is smooth.
5. Toss in the cooked pasta and coat with the sauce. Use reserved pasta water if needed to thin.
6. Slice the chicken and serve it over the pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
For a lighter version, you can substitute half-and-half for heavy cream—but the sauce will be slightly thinner.
Always rest the chicken before slicing to lock in the juices.
Don’t skip the reserved pasta water; it’s key to creating a silky sauce that clings to the pasta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 630
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 44g
- Cholesterol: 165mg
Keywords: cheesy pasta, creamy chicken penne, Velveeta sauce