---
title: "Creamy Chicken Pasta"
description: "A commercial chicken pasta recipe for 40 plates, built around par-cooked pasta, bulk creamy sauce and fast per-order finishing during service."
url: https://rosuii.com/recipes/chicken-pasta-recipe
lang: en
course: main
cuisine: Continental
difficulty: medium
prep_minutes: 35
cook_minutes: 60
total_minutes: 95
yield: "about 40 plates"
servings: 40
tags: ["chicken"]
source: Rosuii (https://rosuii.com)
---

# Creamy Chicken Pasta

A commercial chicken pasta recipe for 40 plates, built around par-cooked pasta, bulk creamy sauce and fast per-order finishing during service.

## Ingredients

- 3.2 kg Penne pasta, dry durum wheat pasta
- 20 litres Water, for boiling pasta
- 260 g Salt, divided
- 350 ml Soybean oil, divided
- 4 kg Boneless chicken, trimmed and cut into even strips
- 50 g Black pepper, coarsely ground, divided
- 250 g Garlic, finely minced, divided
- 450 g Butter
- 350 g Plain flour, sifted
- 5 litres Full-cream liquid milk, warmed
- 2 litres Chicken stock, lightly seasoned and divided
- 1 litre Cooking cream, unsweetened
- 40 g Dried oregano
- 30 g Chilli flakes
- 800 g Processed cheddar cheese, finely grated
- 1 kg Capsicum, cut into thin strips

## Equipment

- 20-litre stockpot
- Heavy-bottomed sauce pot
- Commercial griddle or large frying pans
- Sauté pans
- Digital kitchen scale
- Food thermometer
- Shallow cooling trays
- Refrigerated storage containers

## Method

1. **Set the cooling station** — Prepare sanitised shallow trays, storage containers and refrigerator space before cooking begins. Confirm that the refrigerator is at 5°C or colder and keep a clean thermometer ready. A delayed cooling setup will allow the pasta to overcook after draining.
2. **Par-cook the pasta** — Bring the water to a rolling boil, add 200 g salt and cook the pasta in two manageable batches. Stir during the first 2 minutes and cook about 2 minutes less than the package's al dente time, usually 7 to 9 minutes. Drain when the outside is flexible but a narrow firm core remains.
3. **Cool and portion pasta** — Toss the drained pasta with 150 ml soybean oil and spread it no deeper than 3 cm on shallow trays. Cool from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours and then to 5°C or colder within the next 4 hours. Once cold, portion into 180 g service packs or covered containers.
4. **Season and cook chicken** — Mix the chicken with 50 g salt, 20 g black pepper, 50 g garlic and 100 ml soybean oil. Cook in shallow batches on a 180°C to 200°C griddle for 5 to 7 minutes, turning until lightly coloured and the thickest strips reach 75°C. Transfer immediately to clean trays without adding raw chicken to cooked batches.
5. **Start the sauce roux** — Melt the butter over medium heat and cook the remaining garlic for 45 to 60 seconds without browning. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 2 to 3 minutes at about 120°C to remove the raw flour smell. The roux should remain pale and smooth.
6. **Whisk in warm liquids** — Add the warm milk gradually while whisking, followed by 1.5 litres of chicken stock. Bring the sauce to 82°C to 85°C and simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape the bottom and corners until the sauce is smooth and lightly coats a spoon.
7. **Complete the sauce base** — Reduce the heat and stir in the cooking cream, oregano, chilli flakes, remaining black pepper and grated cheese. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes without boiling, then adjust salt carefully because the cheese and stock already contain seasoning. The sauce should pour in a steady ribbon and look slightly looser than the final plate.
8. **Cool or hot-hold sauce** — For immediate service, hold the sauce at 60°C or hotter in small covered pans and stir every 15 minutes. For later service, transfer it to shallow containers and cool to 5°C or colder within the two-stage cooling limit. Label the production time and never mix a fresh batch into an older service pan.
9. **Finish each order** — Heat 25 g capsicum with a small amount of the remaining oil for 30 to 45 seconds, then add 80 g cooked chicken, 180 g pasta and 200 g sauce. Add 30 to 50 ml reserved stock and toss over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and at least 74°C. The pasta should be tender with a slight bite and the sauce should coat it without pooling.
10. **Check plate and record** — Serve the order immediately in a warmed bowl or delivery container. Weigh sample plates during each shift and compare the remaining components with orders sold. Record overcooked pasta, split sauce, spills and unsold prepared components as wastage.

## Notes

**This chicken pasta recipe produces about 40 consistent main-course plates from one controlled commercial batch.** The system separates production from service: pasta is par-cooked and chilled, chicken is cooked in measured batches, and the creamy sauce base is prepared in bulk. Each order is then finished in a sauté pan in about 3 minutes.

## Why this dish works commercially

**Creamy chicken pasta works for restaurants and food carts because most of the labour can be completed before the rush.** During service, the cook only weighs the prepared components, heats them together and checks the final consistency. This is faster and more repeatable than boiling pasta and making sauce from the beginning for every order.

The dish also supports controlled variations. Mushrooms, extra cheese, chilli, sausage or grilled vegetables can be sold as add-ons without changing the main sauce production. Keep those additions portioned separately so the base plate remains consistent.

The main operational risk is overproduction. Cooked pasta and dairy sauce have limited quality after storage, so production should follow expected sales rather than maximum kitchen capacity. Review weekday, weekend and delivery demand separately.

## Ingredient selection and quality

**Quality matters most in the pasta, chicken, milk, cream and cheese because defects in these ingredients cannot be hidden by seasoning.** Buy durum wheat pasta from a supplier that provides consistent shape and cooking performance. Cheap pasta that cracks, releases excessive starch or becomes soft quickly creates wastage during holding.

### Choose chicken by usable yield

**Boneless chicken should be purchased according to trimmed usable weight, not only the supplier's quoted rate.** Breast gives neat strips and predictable cooking, while boneless thigh stays juicier but requires more trimming. Whichever cut is used, standardise strip thickness so every batch reaches a safe core temperature without drying out.

### Use stable dairy products

**Full-cream liquid milk and cooking cream produce a more stable commercial sauce than diluted milk or sweetened dairy products.** Check that the cream is unsweetened and suitable for savoury cooking. Processed cheddar is useful here because it melts consistently; mozzarella alone can make the sauce stringy and difficult to portion.

Use a lightly seasoned chicken stock so salt can be adjusted after the cheese is added. Fresh garlic should smell clean and sharp, while capsicum should be firm, brightly coloured and free from wet spots.

## Technique beyond the basic method

**The key technique is to stop the pasta cooking early and complete its final cooking inside the sauce.** Fully cooked pasta becomes soft after chilling and breaks when reheated. The sauce must also be slightly looser in bulk than it should appear on the plate because starch and cheese continue to thicken it during service.

### Par-cook and cool correctly

**Par-cooked pasta should retain a narrow, firm core when it is drained.** Package cooking times vary, so use the printed time only as a starting point and test a piece. For most penne, draining about 2 minutes before the stated al dente time gives the correct result.

Do not leave drained pasta in a deep colander. Trapped steam continues cooking the lower layers and creates uneven texture. Spread it on shallow trays, toss with only enough oil to prevent sticking and cool it quickly. Excess oil prevents the sauce from coating the pasta.

### Build a smooth sauce base

**A smooth sauce depends on cooking the flour properly and adding warm liquid gradually.** The flour should cook in butter for 2 to 3 minutes without browning; raw flour gives a pasty taste. Add milk and stock in stages while whisking, and scrape the bottom corners of the pot where roux often collects.

Once the sauce thickens, reduce the heat before adding cream and cheese. Hard boiling can split the fat and leave an oily surface. The finished bulk base should coat a spoon lightly but still pour in a continuous ribbon.

### Finish every order separately

**Per-order finishing gives better texture and tighter yield control than holding completed pasta in a bain-marie.** Start with capsicum, add measured chicken, pasta and sauce, then loosen with reserved stock. Toss until the pasta absorbs some sauce and becomes glossy.

The pan should be wide enough for tossing rather than deep enough for boiling. If the sauce reduces too quickly, lower the burner and add stock in small amounts. A finished plate should be creamy at the pass because it will continue thickening during delivery.

## Scaling the batch safely

**Scale ingredient quantities by the required number of plates, but do not scale pan loading or cooking times in the same way.** For 20 plates, use half the listed quantities; for 60 plates, use one and a half times the quantities. Maintain the same target portions for pasta, chicken and sauce.

Boil pasta in manageable loads with enough water for free movement. Adding twice as much pasta to the same pot drops the temperature and increases surface starch. Chicken should also be cooked in repeated shallow batches rather than piled on the griddle, where it will release water and steam.

For a larger sauce batch, use a wider steam-jacketed kettle or divide production between pots. A very deep pot heats slowly and makes scorching more likely. Record the actual finished weight after each production run because evaporation and chicken trimming can change the final yield.

## Holding and reheating for service

**Keep prepared components separate and combine them only when an order reaches the kitchen.** Refrigerated pasta and chicken should remain covered at 5°C or colder. For best texture, use par-cooked pasta within 24 hours and chilled sauce within 48 hours.

Hot-held sauce should remain at 60°C or hotter and should be held in small replenished pans rather than one large container. For quality, avoid holding it longer than 4 hours. Stir regularly and do not keep adding fresh sauce to an old service pan.

If chilling sauce, divide it into shallow containers and cool it from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours, then to 5°C or colder within the next 4 hours. Reheat only the amount needed and bring previously cooked components to at least 74°C. Do not reheat the same batch repeatedly.

## Portioning and yield control

**A standard plate should use 180 g par-cooked pasta, 80 g cooked chicken, 200 g sauce and 25 g capsicum.** These are production targets, so the kitchen should weigh the first several portions from every batch. Use identical ladles, scoops and storage containers after the weights have been verified.

Measure cooked yield rather than assuming that dry pasta and raw chicken always convert at the same rate. Supplier changes, trimming, boiling time and draining time all affect yield. Follow a written [portion control](/blog/restaurant-portion-control-guide) system and include the measured production loss in [recipe costing](/blog/recipe-costing-restaurant).

Rosuii's productions feature can record raw materials being converted into prepared pasta, cooked chicken and sauce base, while wastage records can capture spills, overcooking and expired prep. This makes unexplained yield loss easier to investigate.

## Mistakes that cost money

**The most expensive mistakes are overcooking pasta, overcrowding chicken, overheating dairy sauce and serving without measured portions.** Soft pasta cannot be repaired and usually becomes wastage. Crowded chicken loses moisture into the pan, reducing cooked yield and delaying service.

- **Rinsing pasta excessively:** This removes useful surface starch and weakens sauce adhesion.
- **Cooling in deep containers:** The centre stays warm too long and the pasta continues softening.
- **Boiling cheese sauce:** High heat can separate fat and produce a grainy texture.
- **Adding too much finishing stock:** The plate becomes watery and requires extra cheese or cooking time to correct.
- **Keeping finished pasta on heat:** Pasta absorbs the sauce, swells and loses its saleable texture.

Record returned plates, burnt sauce and unsold prep rather than treating them as normal kitchen loss. A regular [reducing wastage](/blog/reduce-food-wastage-restaurant) review should compare planned portions with actual plates sold.

## Keeping food cost stable

**Stable cost comes from fixed specifications, measured yields and controlled substitutions.** Set an accepted chicken cut, pasta brand or quality grade, cheese type and dairy specification. If a supplier changes pack size or moisture content, test the finished yield before approving the replacement.

Chicken, cream and cheese should never be added by eye. Use scales during prep and a verified ladle during service. Adjust selling decisions only after checking supplier invoices, trimming loss, finished batch weight and actual sales mix.

## Cost drivers

Boneless chicken, cooking cream and cheese dominate the cost of this dish. Cost moves mainly with chicken trimming yield, dairy brand, cheese moisture, supplier pack size and whether portions are weighed consistently.

## FAQ

### How do I scale this chicken pasta recipe to 20 or 60 plates?

For 20 plates, multiply every ingredient by 0.5; for 60 plates, multiply by 1.5. Keep the same per-plate weights, but cook pasta and chicken in the original batch loads so the pot and griddle are not overcrowded.

### How long can par-cooked pasta be held?

Keep it covered at 5°C or colder and use it within 24 hours for the best commercial texture. Discard pasta that develops a sour smell, sticky wet surface or signs of temperature abuse.

### Can the finished creamy pasta be held in a bain-marie?

It is not recommended because the pasta continues absorbing sauce and quickly becomes soft. Hold the sauce separately at 60°C or hotter, refrigerate the pasta and chicken, and finish each order in a sauté pan.

### Can cooking cream be replaced with more milk?

Yes, but the sauce will be less rich and may require a small adjustment to the roux after testing. Do not simply add extra flour at the end because it can form lumps and leave a raw taste.

### What should I do if the batch gives fewer than 40 plates?

Weigh the cooked pasta, cooked chicken and finished sauce separately before service. Check pasta draining loss, chicken trimming and cooking loss, sauce evaporation and oversized ladle portions, then update the production yield using measured results.

---
Canonical: https://rosuii.com/recipes/chicken-pasta-recipe
More: https://rosuii.com/llms.txt