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Brie Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Brie Chicken Pasta Recipe

I still remember the first time I melted brie into a pot of hot pasta. I honestly didn't expect much, but within minutes my kitchen smelled incredible and the sauce turned silky without me adding a drop of cream
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced – use rotisserie chicken if you're short on time
  • 8-10 oz penne or mostaccioli pasta – the ridges hold onto the melted cheese sauce beautifully
  • 1 small zucchini cut into thin matchsticks – adds a fresh crunch that balances the rich cheese
  • 7 oz brie cheese herbed if you can find it, cubed and chilled – cold brie melts more evenly into the hot pasta
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water – the starchy water is what turns cheese cubes into a silky sauce
  • Fresh basil leaves finely chopped – always use fresh, dried basil won't give the same bright flavor
  • Salt and black pepper to taste – season at the end since brie already carries some saltiness

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook your penne according to the package directions until al dente. Right before draining, scoop out about half a cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. This water is liquid gold for the sauce later, so don't skip it.
  2. While the pasta cooks, dice your cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces so every forkful gets some protein. Cut the zucchini into thin matchsticks rather than rounds, since the thinner shape cooks faster and mimics the texture of the pasta strands.
  3. Drain the pasta and return it to the same warm pot. Add the diced chicken and zucchini matchsticks straight in, then toss everything together. The residual heat from the pasta will start softening the zucchini slightly, which is exactly what you want.
  4. Add the cubed, chilled brie directly to the warm pasta mixture and stir gently. The heat will start melting the cheese into a creamy coating almost immediately, rind and all if you like that slightly earthy flavor.
  5. If the sauce looks too thick or clumpy, splash in a bit of the reserved pasta water and stir. Keep adding a tablespoon at a time until the cheese turns glossy and coats every piece of pasta evenly.
  6. Stir in the chopped fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Give it one last toss, then serve immediately while the sauce is at its silkiest.

Notes

  • I always chill the brie before cubing it, since cold cheese cubes hold their shape long enough to distribute evenly before melting.
  • I save more pasta water than I think I'll need, because it's much easier to thin out a thick sauce than to fix one that's too runny.
  • I like leaving the rind on my brie since it melts down and adds a subtle earthy note, but I trim it off if I'm serving picky eaters.
  • I toss in a squeeze of lemon juice at the end sometimes, and it really wakes up the richness of the cheese.
  • I never let the pasta sit too long before adding the brie, because the sauce comes together best while everything is still steaming hot.