If you don’t mind fusion cuisine, you will love this curried chicken pasta. It’s a true fridge-raid mash up using leftover roast chicken and beautifully dark Cavolo Nero leaves that are still sturdy. You know you want to give it a go! It’s so cozy and creamy 😋 and on the table in 15 minutes!
I’m sure you, like me, stared at a few sadly looking leftovers in the fridge during busy weeknights and asked yourself: “now what”? But remember, you are not a chef, and your family isn’t paying for this meal, so they will be grateful to chow down on a deliciously creamy pasta that they didn’t have to cook or wait too long for!
I don’t think a recipe is required for this curried chicken pasta, but I already started writing so here goes 😉😋.
What you’ll love about this recipe
- Quick and Easy: On the table in 15 minutes!
- Flavorful: I squeeze a healthy amount of lemon🍋 to balance the sweetness I get from the gently sauteed shallots.
- No more food waste: Leftover roast and veggies or herbs that are a little passed their best are all welcome. Make it your own with protein and veggie variations.
- No coconut milk: I love coconut milk, but I’d rather avoid the coconut taste in this dish, that’s not the flavor I’m after. I like the fragrant spices aroma to shine!
- Healthy yet yummy: The Cavolo Nero (or feel free to use spinach or even frozen peas) adds a pop of green and essential vitamins and minerals.
- Creaminess: A heaped tablespoon of cream cheese brings on the creaminess that I crave from this cozy pasta dish. Fusilli bucati’s corkscrew shape perfectly cradle the creamy sauce. If you want another creamy yet healthy pasta idea, I really encourage you to try my salmon and peas pasta recipe.
Watch how to make curried chicken pasta
Ingredients you’ll need
- Leftover roast chicken – it doesn’t matter what flavor, because you will be infusing new flavors. You can even use rotisserie chicken, promise I won’t judge 😜!
- Shallots and garlic– you get a mild garlicky sweetness that doesn’t overpower the dish.
- Pasta – I used fusilli bucati, their corkscrew shape makes for a wonderful pesto carrier 😋! Penne or any tube or short spiral shape works.
- Cream cheese – if you are dairy free, you CAN make this curried chicken pasta without cream cheese too!
- Olive oil – always extra virgin for me
- Cavolo Nero– this sturdy kale cousin (in fact they are both from the same cabbage family), gives a little texture and wonderful dark green color to this pasta dish. Feel free to use Kale or even spinach.
- Lemon – squeeze the juice, it is definetely needed to balance those sweet flavors
- Curry powder – this is where you go wild, use your favorites or make a homemade curry spice blend. I love garam masala it is so fragrant!
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make leftover chicken curry pasta (step-by-step)
Time needed: 15 minutes
If you don’t mind fusion cuisine, you will love this curried chicken pasta. This recipe transforms sadly looking leftover chicken and veggies in a beautifully fragrant and creamy curry pasta. Make it fast during busy weeknights and thank me later!
- Cook the Pasta
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Prepare the Veg
You can do this while the pasta is cooking. Finely chop all the veg and set aside.
- Saute Everything
In a medium frying pan, saute the diced shallot, the garlic, the finely shredded Cavolo Nero and stir for a few minutes. Add the shredded cooked chicken to warm through well and maybe catch the pan for some nice browning. Watch it like a hawk, you don’t want to burn the mixture.
Add the curry spices to the pan toasting in a little olive oil, this will enhance the spice aromas.
- Stir the Pasta
Tumble the hot cooked pasta, the cream cheese and loosen the sauce up with a little pasta water if needed. Adjust to your taste with a good squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper.
- Serve and Enjoy
Divide between bowls, garnish with some parsley or coriander (optional). Serve hot and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Taste the pasta water for saltiness.
- Hold onto some pasta water before draining. It will help make a wonderfully silky smooth sauce.
- Make a little space in the pan to toast the curry powder in olive oil for a quick minute, this will enhance the flavors.
- Gently saute the shallots and garlic on medium to low heat, you don’t want too much browning.
- Don’t overcook the shredded chicken, it will become mushy. Just warm it through or try to crisp up some bits!
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if you need to.
- Don’t cook the greens for too long, you want them vibrantly green.
Nutritional benefits
Dark green leafy veg like Cavolo Nero are such nutritional powerhouses! They make this dish a wholesome nourishing version of an otherwise quite indulgent meal. They are a good source of fiber, minerals and vitamins (notably lutein supporting eye health). Feed those friendly gut bacteria happy!
Servings
This recipe yields 4 portions, enough for a small family. There was a quite a bit leftover, enough to for Dave’s and my lunch the next day. See what I did here? Leftovers made multiple meals saving money, time and your health!
What to serve with curry chicken pasta
I really like this pasta the way it is, and I often have the leftovers as a pasta salad for lunch the next day. But here’s some pairing to match:
- A green salad with a light vinaigrette.
- Roasted vegetables.
- A few tangy florets of my naturally fermented cauliflower
- A small portion of this probiotic rich and pretty pink sauerkraut.
variations and substitutions
- VEGETARIAN: If you want this recipe vegetarian, skip the chicken and add more leafy greens or roast squash (check out how to make roast butternut squash in my roast butternut squash stuffed with feta recipe!)
- VEGAN: For a vegan option, skip the cream cheese or add a vegan alternative. Or make my vegan curried butter beans recipe, is a game changer!
- Don’t have fusilli bucati? Penne, rigatoni, or rotini would work well too. Even tagliatelle!
- Chicken: Swap the chicken with any other leftover roast or other protein like cooked shrimp, or tofu.
- Add some fresh chili if you like it spicier.
- Swap the Cavolo Nero with kale or spinach.
- Swap the cream cheese for sour cream or crème fraîche.
- Make it in a chicken pasta bake with more sauce and grated cheese on top!
No more sad or throw-away leftovers, my lovelies! Pair them with good for you veggies and a creamy sauce, and you get a flavorful pasta meal nothing short of restaurant worthy!
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- Post and tag me @candyflossiecooks😉🤗!
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recipe FAQ
Well, of course. Sometimes you just want to switch things up a bit. Mixing up curry flavors with pasta makes for a quick meal when you crave a comforting yummy dinner.
This leftover curried pasta keeps well in an airtight container for up to three days. That’s if you are lucky to have anything left over. You can also reheat or eat it cold for next day’s lunch.
Curried Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- 1 frying pan
- 1 saucepan
- 1 spatula or wooden spoon
- 1 garlic press optional
- 1 citrus press optional
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 200 g pasta short shapes
- 1 shallot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 100 g leftover roast chicken or any type of cooked chicken
- 100 g Cavolo Nero stalks removed and finely shredded
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or curry powder
- 50 g cream cheese
- 1 lemon juice squeezed
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Prepare the Veg
- While the pasta is cooking, finely dice the shallot, mince the garlic, wash and strip the Cavolo Nero leaves and finely shred them.
Saute Everything
- In a medium frying pan saute the chopped shallot in two tablespoons of olive oil on low to medium heat. Once the shallot is translucent and getting a little color, add the garlic, the finely shredded Cavolo Nero and stir for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken to warm through well and maybe catch the pan for some nice browning. Be careful not to burn the mixture.
- With a spatula make space in the pan, pour the rest of the olive oil and add the curry powder to toast for half a minute or so, this will enhance the spice aromas.
Stir the Pasta
- Mix again then tumble in the cooked pasta, adding more pasta water if you need to loosen up the sauce.
- Add a heaped tablespoon of cream cheese and stir through carefully, so that the pasta keeps its shape.
- If you need to add more pasta water here you can do so. Add lemon juice, give it a taste, and adjust for salt and pepper. if needed.
Serve and Enjoy
- Divide between bowls, garnishing with some parsley or coriander (although this is optional). Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
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