This buffalo chicken pasta is a creamy, flavorful pasta that the whole family will love! Made with gluten free pasta, a spicy cashew cream buffalo sauce, bell peppers, and a variety of delicious spices. A light and easy to make meal that’s perfect for any weeknight dinner! Gluten free, dairy free, easily adapted to be vegan.
The best buffalo chicken pasta
This buffalo chicken pasta is one of those dishes that will warm you up even on the coldest of days! Perfectly creamy, packed with flavor, and ready in less than 40 minutes – making it the perfect gf meal to whip up on any busy weeknight.
We love a quick pasta dinner when life gets crazy. Something that the whole family will love with the bonus of leftovers in the refrigerator to enjoy as you move through the week.
Some of our other favorite easy dairy free pasta recipes include this Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta, Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, and Healthy Chicken Sausage Pasta.
And if you love buffalo everything these buffalo chicken stuffed peppers are also a must try!
Why you’ll love this dairy free pasta
It is:
- Easy to make
- Comforting and cozy
- Perfectly spicy
- Full of zippy flavor
- Healthy and nutrient dense
- Gluten free, dairy free, and easily made vegan / vegetarian
- Filling and great for leftovers
- So delicious!
Ingredients and substitutions
This healthy pasta recipe is made without cream, cream cheese, blue cheese, or dairy of any kind. But thanks to a simple cashew cream sauce it’s still SO luscious and creamy!
Most of the ingredients are also pantry staples (with the addition of a few fresh veggies), so it’s easy to pull together any night of the week.
Here’s what you need
- Raw cashews – Raw cashews are used instead of cream for the sauce in this recipe – IMO they are the best alternative to dairy for dairy free recipes! They add a truly luscious and rich texture.
- Gluten free pasta – We used fusilli, but feel free to use whatever pasta shape you like best – bow tie, shells, or fettuccine would all work well. And if you’re not gluten free, regular pasta is also an option!
- Onion, bell peppers, and garlic – For some depth of flavor and added nutrients. You can also throw in some additional veggies if you like!
- Cooked chicken breast – Leftover baked chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken from the deli at your grocery store are all good options.
- Chicken broth – Any type of good tasting broth will work to bring the flavorful sauce together.
- Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – This is what adds the buffalo flavor to the pasta sauce. Another type of hot sauce can be used if you don’t have any Frank’s on hand. The amount can be adjusted based on your spice preference.
- A simple blend of spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper add a nice depth of flavor to the pasta sauce.
- Some tasty garnishes – I love a good garnish for a note of fresh flavor. In this recipe we like to top the pasta with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (parsley, chives, and dill are all delicious), thinly sliced green onions, and even some creamy dairy free ranch if you like.
What is the best gluten free pasta?
There are so many delicious, well made gluten free pasta options on the market, but our go-to is the brown rice pasta from Jovial.
The texture is consistently phenomenal, and you’d honestly never know it’s gluten free unless you’re the one doing the cooking!
Can this pasta be made without cashews?
Yes! Absolutely.
To make this pasta without cashews I would recommend grabbing whatever dairy free, unsweetened, unflavored creamer that works for you.
Our favorite for savory recipes is Nutpods original dairy free creamer. It does contain nuts, but no cashews. A general rule of thumb is the richer the creamer, the creamier the sauce will be.
Substitute about 1 1/2 cups dairy free creamer for the raw cashews and proceed as the recipe is written.
It might not be *quite* as creamy as it would with cashews, but will still be SO delicious!
Or, if you can have dairy, about 1 1/2 cups half and half would work beautifully.
Options for extra veggies
I kept the veggie additions simple so the ingredient list wasn’t too long, but you can totally add extra vegetables for more variety!
Some good options could be:
- Diced sweet potatoes (cut them small so they cook all the way through at the same rate as the peppers and onions)
- Broccoli florets
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas
- Baby spinach or another hearty green
How to make buffalo chicken pasta
All you need to make this healthy pasta is a large skillet and a high speed blender! Thanks to the simple ingredient list and the pre-cooked chicken it comes together quite easily.
Here’s the step-by-step
- Soak the cashews. Add raw cashews to a heat proof bowl, cover with hot water, and allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Cook the pasta. Start a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Sauté the veggies. Cook diced onion, bell peppers, and chopped garlic until tender and starting to caramelize. Add shredded chicken and toss to combine.
- Make the buffalo cashew cream sauce. Drain soaked cashews and add to the blender with broth, Frank’s Red Hot, and spices. Blend on high for at least at minute, until entirely smooth and creamy.
- Finish assembling the pasta. Return skillet to the stove top and add cooked pasta and the buffalo cashew sauce. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for a minute or two until sauce has thickened slightly.
- Season and serve! Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with thinly sliced green onions, fresh herbs, and dairy free ranch dressing if desired.
How to make a vegan / vegetarian version
You can easily make this pasta vegan / vegetarian simply by leaving out the chicken and opting for a vegetable broth in the sauce.
Feel free to add extra veggies to add more flavor and nutrients!
Expert tips
- Don’t rinse your pasta. Rinsing your pasta directly after cooking washes a way a lot of the starch, and makes it harder to the sauce to stick to the noodles. That starchiness will also help thicken your sauce!
- Save some pasta cooking water. Cashew cream sauces will thicken as they simmer. Reserve about 3/4 cup of pasta cooking water before draining your noodles to thin the sauce as desired as it cooks with the pasta, veggies, and chicken.
- Season the sauce to taste with hot sauce. Some like it *extra* hot, and some don’t! Which is why I’ve included a measurement range for the hot sauce in the recipe. If you’re not sure how much to add, start on the lesser end and season to taste with more once the pasta is fully assembled.
- Don’t forget the garnishes! Most dishes can benefit from a fresh garnish, but especially spicy recipes like this pasta. We love fresh herbs, green onions, and maybe even a small drizzle of dairy free ranch dressing (I know it sounds weird, but trust me).
What to serve with buffalo chicken pasta
We love this pasta as a complete meal all on it’s own, but if you want to add something else to your spread a simple arugula salad or a slice of crusty garlic bread would be delicious!
Does this pasta keep well for leftovers?
Yes, absolutely!
It makes about 5-6 servings, so unless you’re serving a big family you should have enough to tuck some away in the refrigerator to enjoy throughout the week!
The sauce may thicken slightly in the refrigerator, but if that happens just thin it out with a little water or broth while reheating until desired consistency is reached.
Storage and re-heating
To reheat: This pasta can easily be re-heated in the microwave or in a small skillet over low heat on the stove top. If you’re reheating on the stove top I recommend adding a few tablespoons of water or broth to the skillet, covering it, and stirring occasionally until warmed through.
To store in the refrigerator: Allow to cool to room temperature and transfer to an air tight container before moving to the fridge. It should keep for 5-6 days.
Can you freeze buffalo chicken pasta?
Generally speaking I do not recommend freezing pasta dishes. The noodles tend to lose their integrity and will be overly soft once thawed.
On the other hand, the buffalo cashew cream sauce can easily be frozen until ready to make a batch of this pasta. It should keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. If it separates once thawed, simply re-blend until combined again.
Love this recipe? Try these other healthy pastas!
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Vegan Mexican Taco Pasta
- Easy Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Vegan Vodka Pasta Sauce
- Cashew Cream Mushroom and Kale Pasta
- Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
- Creamy Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Nut Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK! We’re so grateful you’re here.
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Buffalo Chicken Pasta {Gluten Free + Dairy Free}
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This buffalo chicken pasta is a creamy, flavorful pasta that the whole family will love! Made with gluten free pasta, a spicy cashew cream buffalo sauce, bell peppers, and a variety of delicious spices. A light and easy to make meal that’s perfect for any weeknight dinner! Gluten free, dairy free, easily adapted to be vegan.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 12 ounces gluten free pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- About 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast (leftover baked chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken from the grocery store deli are all good options)
- 1 1/2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable broth both work well
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce, depending on desired spiciness (you can always add more to taste before serving)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- Green onions, fresh herbs, and dairy free ranch for serving
Instructions
- Soak the cashews. Before you start cooking – in a heat proof bowl, cover raw cashews with just boiled water for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry you can simmer the cashews on the stove top for about 10 minutes until they are pale and plump.
- Cook the pasta. Start a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve about 3/4 cup cooking water. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add diced onion, bell peppers, and chopped garlic. Sauté veggies for about 6-7 minutes, until tender and starting to caramelize. Add shredded chicken and toss to combine. Remove from heat while you make the buffalo cashew cream sauce.
- Make the buffalo cashew cream sauce. Drain soaked cashews and add to the blender with broth, Frank’s Red Hot, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Blend on high for at least at minute, until entirely smooth and creamy.
- Finish assembling the pasta. Return skillet to the stove top over medium low heat. Add cooked pasta and the buffalo cashew sauce. Stir to combine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a bare simmer. Allow to simmer for a minute or two, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened slightly and pasta is warmed through. Add reserved pasta water a little bit at a time to thin the sauce if needed.
- Season and serve! Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with thinly sliced green onions, fresh herbs, and dairy free ranch dressing if desired.
Notes
See notes in above blog post for how to make vegan / vegetarian.
Don’t rinse your pasta. Rinsing your pasta directly after cooking washes a way a lot of the starch, and makes it harder to the sauce to stick to the noodles. That starchiness will also help thicken your sauce!
Season the sauce to taste with hot sauce. Some like it *extra* hot, and some don’t! Which is why I’ve included a measurement range for the hot sauce in the recipe. If you’re not sure how much to add, start on the lesser end and season to taste with more once the pasta is fully assembled.
To reheat: This pasta can easily be re-heated in the microwave or in a small skillet over low heat on the stove top. If you’re reheating on the stove top I recommend adding a few tablespoons of water or broth to the skillet, covering it, and stirring occasionally until warmed through.
To store in the refrigerator: Allow to cool to room temperature and transfer to an air tight container before moving to the fridge. It should keep for 5-6 days.
Generally speaking I do not recommend freezing pasta dishes. The noodles tend to lose their integrity and will be overly soft once thawed. On the other hand, the buffalo cashew cream sauce can easily be frozen until ready to make a batch of this pasta. It should keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. If it separates once thawed, simply re-blend until combined again.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
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