Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta
A bold, buttery weeknight pasta with seared chicken thighs, bell peppers, and a spicy garlic cowboy butter cream sauce.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet or chef's pan
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley for cowboy butter
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika or hot/smoky, if preferred
- 1 tsp salt for cowboy butter
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 0.5 lemon juice and zest
- 12 oz pasta linguine recommended
- 2 tsp salt for pasta water
- 6 chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 1 tsp salt for chicken
- 1 tsp paprika for chicken
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil or as needed
- 1 large shallot finely diced
- 1 cup sliced bell peppers mix of red, yellow, and orange
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 4 tbsp cowboy butter or more to taste
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine all the cowboy butter ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. This can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until needed. You will only need about half of the butter in the pasta recipe.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions or until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining.
- Cut the chicken thighs into strips or bite-sized pieces. Season with the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and quickly sear the chicken. This will take about 4 minutes -- you don't have to cook the chicken all the way through.
- Lower the heat a notch. Add the shallot, garlic, and sliced peppers, cooking and stirring frequently until the vegetables have softened and the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the cowboy butter and add the drained linguine, tossing to combine in the buttery sauce.
- Add the cream, grated Parmesan, and chopped parsley and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side, extra Parmesan cheese, and garlic bread if desired.
Notes
Feel free to add more vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, or cherry tomatoes. Reserved pasta water helps create a silky sauce with less cream. Chicken is done at an internal temperature of 165°F, typically 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days in the refrigerator; reheat in a pan or microwave with a splash of water.
