Name: Brown Butter Pasta with Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces pasta ((rigatoni, penne, rotini)); 1-1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided (see notes)); 2 tablespoons minced shallot; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup walnuts (roughly chopped); 8 fresh sage leaves (coarsely chopped); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (chopped); Freshly ground nutmeg ((optional))

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This brown butter pasta with chicken combines tender sautéed chicken, toasted walnuts, and fresh sage in a nutty brown butter sauce that's a cinch to make. Ready in about 35 minutes, it's perfect for weeknights or easy entertaining.

An overhead view of brown butter chicken pasta being spooned into a serving bowl from the skillet. — *Photos by* *Tom Pitera* *| Styling by* *Erika Pitera*

Simple Pasta with Nutty Brown Butter Flavor

The delicate, nutty flavor of brown butter adds instant depth to even the simplest dishes, and this brown butter chicken pasta is a great way to learn the technique. With just a handful of ingredients, it delivers the kind of rich, balanced flavor you’d expect from a restaurant meal.

What makes this brown butter pasta dish special is the natural flavor pairing of the toasted walnuts and fresh sage. The nuts add richness and crunch while the sage brings an earthy aroma that cuts through the butter’s richness. A light dusting of nutmeg just before serving ties the flavors together, giving the dish a subtle, aromatic finish.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.

A labeled, overhead view of the ingredients for brown butter pasta with chicken; boneless chicken breasts, rigatoni, shallots, sage, parsley, nutmeg, butter, and walnuts.

CHICKEN: Thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook quickly and stay tender. You can substitute chicken tenders if you prefer. Slice them crosswise into three or four pieces.

PASTA: Any short cut of ridged pasta will work for this dish. Rigatoni, penne, rotini, and cavatappi are all good choices as their ridges hold the sauce nicely.

BUTTER: Use unsalted butter for better control of the seasoning and the browning process. Flavor develops quickly as butter browns, so keep an eye on the color. It should deepen to a warm golden brown and have a nutty aroma.

WALNUTS: Toasted walnuts add texture and enhance the brown butter’s nutty quality. If you need an alternative, pecans can work, but the flavor is a little different.

SAGE: Fresh sage leaves are essential in this dish. Their earthiness is a nice contrast to the nutty flavor of the butter and the walnuts.

NUTMEG: A tiny pinch of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated, adds a subtle warmth that ties the whole dish together. It’s optional but well worth using if you have some in the pantry.

A very close view of brown butter pasta with chicken, showing the walnuts, shallots, herbs, and a light coating of brown butter.

Prep Overview

How to Make Brown Butter Chicken Pasta

Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

Step one making brown butter pasta with chicken - strips of boneless, skinless chicken breasts lightly sautéed in butter with minced shallots.

The second step in preparing brown butter chicken pasta - sautéing chopped walnuts and fresh sage in brown butter. Perfectly browned milk solids are visible in the bottom of the pan.

Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness, slice them into thin strips, and sauté with shallots in a bit of butter while the pasta water comes to a boil. Once the chicken is lightly golden and cooked through, transfer it to a bowl and set it aside—those juices will add extra flavor to the sauce later.

In the same pan, melt the remaining butter and add the chopped walnuts and fresh sage. They’ll toast and infuse the butter with flavor as it browns. As the butter foams and deepens to a golden brown, it develops a nutty aroma while the sage releases its flavor.

Preparing brown butter pasta with chicken, ready to combine the chicken and brown butter mixture with cooked rigatoni.

The final step for preparing brown butter chicken pasta - combining the cooked pasta, brown butter, shallots, walnuts, and herbs, and sautéed chicken, then dusting it with nutmeg.

Combine the cooked pasta, chicken, and brown butter sauce, adding a splash of pasta water to bring it all together. Garnish with parsley and a hint of nutmeg for a warm, aromatic finish.

Tips For Making Brown Butter

USE THE RIGHT PAN: A stainless steel or enameled cast-iron skillet lets you clearly see the color changes in the butter. Avoid dark nonstick pans as they make it nearly impossible to gauge when the butter is perfectly browned.

STAY CLOSE TO THE STOVE: Once the butter starts to foam, it can go from golden to burnt in seconds. Swirl the pan occasionally and watch for that deep amber color and nutty aroma.

An overhead view of a skillet filled with brown butter pasta and tender strips of chicken, garnished with parsley - a prep bowl with more chopped parsley to the side.

More Quick Chicken Dinner Recipes

If you enjoy this brown butter pasta with chicken, try a few of our other flavorful weeknight favorites: Mushroom Chicken with Spinach and Cheese, a one-pan dinner with tender chicken, mushrooms, and melted cheese; Chicken Marsala Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, a lighter, tangy twist on the classic; and Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders, golden sautéed chicken finished in a bright, citrusy pan sauce.

5 from 3 votes

Brown Butter Pasta with Chicken

By Lynne Webb

Prep: 10

Cook: 25

Total: 35

Servings: servings

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Ingredients

▢ 8 ounces pasta, (rigatoni, penne, rotini)
▢ 1-1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (see notes)
▢ 2 tablespoons minced shallot
▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
▢ 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
▢ 8 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, chopped
▢ Freshly ground nutmeg, (optional)

Instructions

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Slice crosswise into thin strips for quick, even cooking.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet (see notes) over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Avoid overcooking. Transfer the chicken and any pan juices to a bowl and set aside.
Wipe out the pan and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the walnuts and sage and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns a rich golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Watch closely because the milk solids can go from beautifully browned to burned very quickly (see notes).
Remove the pan from the heat, return the chicken and any accumulated juices. Stir to coat with the browned butter, then cover to keep warm.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid before draining. Add the pasta to the pan with the chicken and brown butter sauce. Toss well, adding a splash of the reserved cooking liquid if needed to loosen the sauce for thorough coating.
To serve, divide the pasta among warm bowls and top with parsley and a light dusting of nutmeg, if desired.

Notes

ABOUT THE BUTTER: Always use unsalted butter for making brown butter. Salted butter has a tendency to foam more which makes it harder to judge when the color is right.

ABOUT THE PAN: Use a stainless steel or enameled cast iron pan with a light-colored interior so you can keep a close eye on the color of the butter as it browns.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE BUTTER: Watch for the butter to stop foaming. This is a sign it’s almost ready to brown and since the color can shift from golden to burnt quickly, keep a close eye and remove the pan from the heat as soon as you see that toasty color.