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This cheesy chicken pasta recipe is my favorite for a reason: I just can’t stop making it! It’s loaded with aromatics, spices, chicken, and lots of mozzarella cheese for a comforting weeknight meal.

If you’re looking for cheesy, carby comfort, look no further than my favorite cheesy chicken pasta recipe.

I’ve made variations of this multiple times–with and without chicken, like in this cheesy veggie pasta–and it always hits the spot. This version is by far my favorite. While I’ve also made this with ground chicken, I prefer it with cubed chicken breasts. They brown up beautifully, and the cubes are so juicy and tender!

How to make this cheesy chicken pasta

You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe; chances are, you probably have most of them in your pantry or refrigerator. This recipe is also super amenable to swaps depending on seasonality or what you have available.

What you need

Chicken: While you can make this with ground chicken, I think cubed, boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best here. You can also do cubed chicken thighs instead. I prefer the breasts, though.
Spices: I season the chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. I use a decent amount of crushed red pepper because I like the kick, but you can reduce or omit it if you prefer.
Elbows: There’s just something magical about elbows and cheese, but any small pasta works here. Try it with Ditalini or orzo.
Aromatics: I use a mix of celery, onion, and bell peppers to start. You need about 2 cups total, and you can get creative here and mix and match with what you may already have in your crisper. Try it with diced carrots, zucchini, fennel, or eggplant. I also add parsley and minced garlic.
Sauce: Once the aromatics are soft, add a little flour and chicken stock to create a thicker sauce to coat the elbows.
Cheese: I use mozzarella cheese. Add a few tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese with the mozzarella if you like a sharper flavor.

How to make it

Step 1: Season the chicken. Coat the chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Add extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Set it aside.
Step 2: Boil the elbows. Cook the elbows until they’re 1 to 2 minutes under al dente, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Step 3: Brown the chicken. Fry the cubes up in a scant amount of olive oil. It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this stage, but try to get a nice crust on the edges of the chicken. Transfer it to a plate.

Step 4: Make the sauce. Add the aromatics to the skillet and cook until softened. Then add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and minced parsley. From there, coat with flour and then whisk in the chicken stock. Simmer the sauce for just a couple of minutes until it thickens.

Step 5: Assemble the pasta. From there, add the cooked pasta and chicken and toss to combine until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Add half the mozzarella and stir to incorporate. Finish with the rest of the mozzarella. I like to add a few cracks of black pepper on top. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the top is browned and bubbly. You may wish to broil the pasta for 1 or 2 minutes to brown the cheese even more.
Step 6: Garnish! Take the pasta out of the oven and finish with freshly minced parsley if you like.

You’re ready to serve it up! We serve ours with a small side salad, and it’s a perfect midweek meal! Leftovers are even better the next day!