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Creamy Butter Chicken Pasta (The Viral 25-Minute Indian Fusion)

By Tasty Loom  |  ★★★★★ 5.0  |  Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 15 min  |  Total: 25 min  |  Servings: 4

Two comfort-food legends, one pan. This viral mashup takes everything you love about butter chicken — the silky tomato-butter makhani sauce, the warm garam masala, the charred little pieces of yogurt-marinated chicken — and tosses it with penne so every tube of pasta catches the sauce.

It’s the best of both worlds: Indian spice depth with Italian pasta comfort, and the whole thing lands on the table in 25 minutes. Ten ingredients, one sauce pan, and a dinner that tastes like your favorite takeout married your favorite pasta night.

If you loved our Creamy Garlic Parmesan One-Pan Pasta, this one brings the same weeknight magic with a bold Indian twist — and it’s every bit as easy to pull off.

What You Need

• 12 oz (340 g) penne pasta
• 1 lb (450 g) chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic + 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp garam masala (divided), 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), salt to taste
• Fresh cilantro, to serve

How To Make It

1. Toss the chicken pieces with the yogurt, half of the garam masala, and a good pinch of salt. Let it rest for 10 minutes while you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces until golden and just cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same pan, melt another 1 tbsp butter. Cook the onion until soft, 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, the remaining garam masala, cumin, paprika, and turmeric; cook 1 minute. Pour in the tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and darkens slightly.
4. Stir in the heavy cream, the crushed kasuri methi, and the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes so the flavors meld and the chicken finishes cooking.
5. Meanwhile cook the penne until al dente; reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain. Toss the pasta through the sauce, loosening with splashes of pasta water until glossy and every piece is coated. Shower with fresh cilantro and serve hot.

Tips & Variations

• Don’t skip the kasuri methi — those crushed dried fenugreek leaves are what give the sauce its signature restaurant-style butter chicken flavor.
• Use smooth tomato puree, not canned diced tomatoes — diced pieces make the sauce chunky instead of silky.
• Keep splashes of pasta water handy — the starchy water is the secret to a glossy sauce that clings to the penne.
• Easy twist: swap the chicken for paneer for a vegetarian version — pan-sear the cubes the same way and follow the same steps.
• Leftovers keep well: store in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.

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