Simple Garlic Butter Bucatini Chicken (Printable)

Al dente bucatini tossed in garlic butter with tender shredded chicken for a satisfying Italian-inspired dish.

# Components:

→ 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)

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 25 minutes, which means you can have dinner ready before hunger turns you irritable.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of bucatini in a way that feels almost luxurious for something so simple.
  • Shredded chicken transforms it from a side dish into a proper main that actually fills you up.
02 -
  • Overcooking the garlic is the fastest way to ruin this dish; if you smell something sharp and bitter, you've gone too far and the whole thing tastes acrid.
  • The starchy pasta water is not optional—it's what transforms the butter from a coating into an actual sauce that clings to the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the plate.
03 -
  • Keep your butter at medium heat and your focus on the garlic; most mistakes come from impatience or distraction here.
  • A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store saves you thirty minutes of actual cooking time without sacrificing flavor, which is not cheating—it's smart.
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