Leftover Rotisserie Chicken and Pasta Recipe
A little garlic sizzling in butter can make a bowl of leftover chicken feel like something worth getting excited about. This leftover rotisserie chicken and pasta recipe brings tender chicken, penne, Parmesan, and Italian herbs together in a rich, glossy sauce. It’s a cozy 20-minute dinner with plenty of flavor and not a drop of heavy cream.
Why This Recipe Works
Rotisserie chicken has its own savory seasoning, so it pairs beautifully with the garlic and herbs in this pasta. The real trick is coating the chicken and penne while they’re warm. That lets the buttery olive oil mixture reach the little folds and edges of every piece. Parmesan adds a salty finish without turning the dish into a thick, heavy pasta.
Recipe Details
| Recipe Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Total Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings | 6 |
| Cooking Method | Stovetop |
| Main Ingredient | Leftover rotisserie chicken |
What You’ll Need
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Leftover rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded | 3 cups |
| Penne pasta, dry | 16 oz |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | ½ cup |
| Unsalted butter | 4 tablespoons |
| Garlic, minced | 4 cloves |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Red pepper flakes | ¼ teaspoon |
| Dried Italian seasoning | 2 tablespoons |
| Grated Parmesan cheese | ⅓ cup |
A Few Ingredient Notes
Leftover rotisserie chicken: Pull the meat from the bones and remove any large pieces of skin. Chop the breast into small, even bites, and gently pull the darker meat into shorter pieces. This gives you a nice mix of textures without leaving oversized chunks hiding among the penne.
Three cups make the chicken a real part of the meal, not just a few stray pieces scattered through the pasta.
Penne pasta: Those short tubes are especially handy here. The garlic oil coats their ridges, while little pieces of chicken settle between them. Cook the pasta until tender with a slight bite so it holds its shape when tossed.
Olive oil and butter: Together, they create a loose, rich coating. The olive oil keeps the sauce flowing, while the butter adds a softer, rounded flavor.
Garlic and Italian seasoning: Fresh garlic gives this dish its strongest aroma. The dried herbs add a familiar Italian-style flavor that works with the seasoning on rotisserie chicken.
Parmesan: Use finely grated Parmesan so it spreads evenly through the warm pasta. It adds a savory, salty finish, so taste before adding extra salt at the table.
Reheating Tip
For this pasta, warm the leftover rotisserie chicken in a nonstick skillet with a lid before tossing everything together.
Place the chopped chicken in the skillet with a tablespoon of water and a small spoonful of the recipe‘s olive oil. Cover and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The gentle steam helps soften the exposed edges of the breast meat while the darker pieces warm evenly.
Keep the pieces in a single, loose layer when possible. Once the chicken is heated through, transfer it directly to the warm pasta. For food safety, reheated leftovers should reach 165°F in the center.
A lidded skillet is especially useful here because it holds moisture close to the chicken without leaving it sitting in a pool of liquid.
How to Make Leftover Chicken Taste Good Again
The best moment to refresh the rotisserie chicken’s flavor is when the warm garlic butter meets the meat.
Start by stirring the Italian seasoning into the fragrant garlic oil. Then, use a large mixing bowl or the pasta pot to toss a few spoonfuls of that mixture through the warm chicken. The broad space lets you turn the pieces gently and coat them without breaking them into tiny shreds.
This matters especially for rotisserie breast meat. Its mild flavor picks up the garlic and herbs quickly, while the darker meat brings its own richer taste to the mix.
Once the chicken smells fragrant, add the pasta and remaining sauce. Finish with Parmesan while everything is warm. You’ll get garlic and herbs throughout the dish, not just on the noodles at the bottom of the bowl.
How to Make Leftover Rotisserie Chicken and Pasta
Step 1: Prepare the Rotisserie Chicken
Remove the leftover rotisserie chicken from the refrigerator. Discard the bones and any large pieces of skin.
Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the breast meat into bite-sized pieces. Pull the thigh meat into shorter, thicker strands. Aim for pieces that will mix easily with the penne.
Measure out 3 cups and set them aside while you start the pasta.
Step 2: Cook the Penne
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 16 ounces of penne and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. You may not need it, but a small splash can help the garlic butter coat the pasta if the mixture looks dry.
Drain the penne and return it to the warm pot.
Step 3: Make the Garlic Butter Sauce
While the pasta cooks, place a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add the ½ cup of olive oil, 4 tablespoons of butter, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Stir gently as the butter melts.
Let the garlic cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Watch it closely because dark brown garlic can make the sauce bitter.
Stir in the 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Step 4: Warm the Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
Place the prepared chicken in a nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of water and about 1 tablespoon of the warm garlic oil mixture.
Cover and heat over medium-low heat, turning the pieces gently so they warm evenly. Reheat until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Spoon another small amount of garlic butter over the chicken and toss lightly to distribute the seasoning.
Step 5: Toss the Chicken and Pasta
Add the warm rotisserie chicken to the pot of drained penne.
Pour the remaining garlic butter sauce over everything. Toss gently with a large spoon or silicone-tipped tongs until the chicken and pasta are evenly coated.
If the mixture seems too tight or dry, add a tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time. Toss after each addition until the sauce lightly coats the penne.
You want glossy pasta, not liquid collecting at the bottom of the pot.
Step 6: Finish with Parmesan and Serve
Sprinkle the ⅓ cup of grated Parmesan over the warm pasta.
Toss once more so the cheese spreads through the garlic-coated penne and chicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Divide among six bowls and serve while warm. A green salad or a slice of crusty bread makes a lovely side, especially if you want something to catch the last little bit of garlic butter.
Conclusion
There’s something especially satisfying about penne coated in fragrant garlic butter, with tender pieces of rotisserie chicken tucked into every forkful. The Parmesan melts into the warm mixture just enough to give it a savory finish. Keep this leftover rotisserie chicken and pasta recipe in mind the next time a few cups of chicken are waiting in your refrigerator. It’s the kind of dinner that makes an ordinary Tuesday feel a little more inviting.
