Creamy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

Golden baked pasta with shredded chicken, tangy buffalo sauce, creamy ranch dressing, and melted mozzarella.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces penne or rotini pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

→ Sauce & Dairy

03 - 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch seasoning mix
04 - 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
05 - 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
06 - 1/2 cup sour cream
07 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Aromatics

09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions, plus extra for garnish

→ Extras

11 - Salt and pepper to taste
12 - Nonstick cooking spray or butter for greasing

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ranch seasoning, buffalo sauce, heavy cream, and sour cream until smooth.
04 - Fold in the cooked chicken, half of the mozzarella cheese, all of the cheddar cheese, minced garlic, and green onions.
05 - Add the drained pasta and gently toss until evenly coated with the cream mixture.
06 - Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra green onions before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish where you can taste the effort without spending hours in the kitchen, which honestly feels like cheating in the best way.
  • Nobody leaves the table with leftovers on their plate, and that's the real measure of success in my book.
02 -
  • Don't fully cook your pasta to package directions—it will absolutely turn mushy by the time the bake is done, and that's a mistake I made the first time.
  • The resting period actually matters because rushing to serve it means the sauce will be too runny and everything slides around on the plate like it's skating.
03 -
  • Tear your cooked chicken into uneven pieces instead of dicing it uniformly—the varied sizes create different textures as they bake and it honestly looks more appealing.
  • Reserve a tiny bit of the pasta water before draining and stir it in if the sauce feels too thick, because sometimes the pasta absorbs more than you expect.
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