In One and Done, senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk uses one pan—like a Dutch oven, sheet pan, or cast-iron skillet—to make meals you’ll come back to again and again. Click here for even more one-pan meals.
Buffalo chicken dip is impossible to dislike. It’s creamy, spicy, and tangy—and paired with crunchy celery and punchy blue cheese to complement the heat. This recipe borrows that same winning flavor combo and reimagines it as a pasta that comes together in just one pot. First, chicken thighs or chicken breasts (your choice) get seared, then transferred to a plate and shredded. Next, you cook the pasta in the same pot. As it cooks and the water reduces, it forms the base of the sauce without any need for draining. Just make sure to properly measure the water you use in this recipe. Use too much and the sauce will turn out runny; use too little and the sauce will be too thick and the pasta will be undercooked. Instead of fussing with a roux, grated cheese coated in cornstarch gets added to the pasta a handful at a time. This creates a luscious cheese sauce, which gets bolstered with a generous amount of hot sauce, plus the shredded chicken you cooked earlier. Topped with crumbled blue cheese and thinly sliced celery, the pasta houses everything good about the classic dip in a comforting weeknight meal.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toss together 12 oz. Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (about 3 cups), ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. cornstarch in a large bowl with your hands until cheese is evenly coated. Set aside.
Step 2
Generously season 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 6) or breasts (4–6) with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Working in 2 batches if needed, arrange chicken in a single layer and cook until deeply browned underneath, 6–8 minutes. Turn and cook until deeply browned on other side and cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Reserve pot (no need to wash it; some brown bits stuck to the bottom are okay). Let chicken cool slightly, then shred.
Step 3
Meanwhile, combine 12 oz. penne or other medium pasta, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 4½ cups water in reserved pot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often to keep pasta from sticking, until about two thirds of water has been absorbed and pasta is very al dente, 6–8 minutes for most pasta shapes (about 2 minutes less than package directions).
Step 4
Add ½ cup Buffalo wing sauce to pasta and cook, stirring often, until about half of hot sauce has been absorbed and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add reserved cheese mixture a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until mostly melted before adding more. Stir until mixture is creamy, then mix in shredded chicken. Remove pot from heat. Taste pasta; season with more salt and pepper and add more Buffalo sauce if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with crumbled blue cheese, thinly sliced scallions, and thinly sliced celery stalks and leaves if desired.
