With all the flavors of the classic dish, this Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is pure comfort food! Tender chunks of chicken and fresh vegetables in a creamy sauce flavored with thyme are tossed together with freshly cooked pasta. This recipe is easy to make gluten-free, and there are two dairy-free options as well.
Chicken pot pie is one of the most classic comfort foods, and most people I know have specific memories of it. For me, it is one of my favorite childhood memories.
Every fall, my Dad would leave for two weeks at a time to guide hunters into the backcountry. Mom and I would stay behind in our cozy cabin in the woods. But we would always make a trip into town for frozen chicken pot pies.
We would each pick out our favorite doughnut as a treat. (For the record, my favorite is old-fashioned glazed, closely followed by maple bars.) This became a yearly tradition, and now I expect chicken pot pie when fall arrives.
This recipe is inspired by my memories of store-bought chicken pot pie, but it’s super easy and gluten-free, too. Gluten-free pie crust can be tricky, and I enjoy the chicken pot pie filling over pasta way more than a gummy gluten-free crust.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken thighs – boneless skinless chicken thighs are perfect in this dish because they stay nice and moist. You can also use chicken breasts, just be careful not to overcook them.
- Pasta – you can use regular or gluten-free pasta. I use Jovial and penne is my favorite in this recipe, but fusilli and farfalle (bowties) are both great as well.
- Veggies – a mixture of onion, carrots, and celery is classic in chicken pot pie with peas added in at the end. These veggies add a lot of depth to the sauce.
- Cream – heavy cream, coconut cream, or my Cashew Cream all work in this recipe. I’ve made this recipe with all 3 and they’re all good, so choose whichever option works for you. I used to make this with half & half, but I really do think heavy cream is a touch better and creamier.
- Thyme – fresh thyme gives you the best flavor, but dried thyme works well here too.
- Butter – olive oil, ghee, or dairy-free butter can all be used in this recipe.
- Cornstarch – or tapioca starch both work in this recipe. You can use arrowroot, but I’d start with less because it tends to thicken more.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: After you’ve prepped the veggies, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, sauté the chicken until it’s just barely done and remove it from the pan.
Step 2: Next, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until just beginning to soften. Then add the thyme and chicken stock. Simmer over low until the veggies have completely softened, about 10 minutes.
Partway through the cooking time for the veggies, cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water.
Step 3: When the veggies are tender, there should still be enough liquid to almost cover them. If there isn’t enough liquid, add a bit more chicken broth.
Add the cream or coconut cream and thicken with the cornstarch mixed with water until your desired consistency is reached. It should be like a thin gravy.
Step 4: When the pasta is done, drain it, and add the frozen peas to the pot pie gravy mixture.
Step 5: Finally toss the pot pie gravy mixture together with the freshly cooked pasta with the heat on medium. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and serve.
Ways to serve this
- Add a side salad for entertaining like my Strawberry Spinach Salad or Apple Spinach Salad.
- Add an extra veggie with my Sautéed Green Beans, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Asparagus, or Roasted Broccoli.
- If you’re entertaining, add my Almond Flour Carrot Cake, or my Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for early summer and Gluten Free Apple Crisp for the fall/winter.
FAQ’s
Yes you can use chicken breasts in place of the chicken thighs in this Chicken Pot Pie Pasta. Just be careful not to overcook them. It’s better to undercook the chicken thighs in the first step, then finish cooking them completely when you toss the pasta together with the sauce.
Bowties (farfalle), fusilli, rigatoni, or pretty much any shape of pasta works in this recipe in place of the penne pasta called for. You can also use short egg noodles as well.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place the leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Make ahead – the chicken pot pie filling/sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve this recipe, bring the sauce to a boil, add the peas, and toss it together with the freshly cooked pasta.
- Reheating – reheat any leftover pasta by adding a portion to a small saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover and heat over medium stirring often until heated through.
- To freeze – you can freeze this pasta for up to 3 months in an airtight container, but I personally don’t recommend it because it’s on the mushy side when you defrost it. Gluten-free pasta really doesn’t keep all that well!
Tips & Tricks
- I used fresh thyme for the filling because I have an abundance of it in my herb garden, but dried thyme works as well.
- If you happen to have Homemade Chicken Stock in the freezer, this is the time to use it. I have made it with low-sodium boxed stock which was delicious, but homemade is noticeably better.
- I like to add the frozen peas right at the end of the cooking time. Frozen peas are partially cooked before being frozen, so they mostly need to heat up in the sauce. This also helps to keep them a nice bright green in the finished pasta dish.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free – my favorite options are coconut milk, or you can use my Savory Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce in equal parts for heavy cream.
- Gluten-free – I make this recipe with 100% brown rice pasta which is gluten-free. We use Jovial pasta because they have the best gluten-free pasta texture.
Pasta Recipe Inspiration
I hope you enjoy this Chicken Pot Pie Pasta recipe! If you do get a chance to make this, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound boneless - skinless chicken thighs, cubed into 1″ pieces
- 4 tbsp butter - or olive oil, dairy free butter
- 3 cups diced yellow onion - 1/2″ pieces
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
- 2 cups thinly sliced celery
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme - or 1 Teaspoon dried
- 2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock - or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch - or tapioca starch
- 1 cup heavy cream - or coconut milk/Savory Vegan Cashew Cream Sauce for dairy free
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 12 ounces penne pasta - I used 1 box Jovial gluten-free brown rice pasta
- 1 tsp sea salt - or to your taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper - or to your taste
- Optional: 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Sauté the cubed chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat in 1 tablespoon of butter. When the chicken is barely done, or close to done, remove it from the pan and set it aside. It will finish cooking in the sauce at the end.
- In the same pan, lower the heat to low or medium-low, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter with the onion, carrots, and celery.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes (try to keep the heat low to avoid browning the veggies). Then add the thyme and chicken broth and simmer on the lowest setting until fully softened, about 10 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta to the package directions, al dente, with some resistance when you bite into it.
- Mix the cornstarch with enough water to dissolve it. When the veggies are tender, there should be enough chicken broth to almost cover them. If the broth looks low, add a bit more.
- Add the cream, then, drizzle the cornstarch mixture slowly into the chicken pot pie filling, stirring to mix well as you add it. Add peas and sautéed chicken, and bring the mixture back to a boil to thicken it.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain but don't rinse it and add it to the chicken pot pie filling. Stir to combine, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
- Garnish chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2024 with new photos, tips, and information.
So many comfort foods wrapped up into one cozy meal. Brilliant!
2 for 1, which is always my favorite!
What a super great idea! More carby goodness for your chicken pot pie! Yum 🙂
Thank you, I love you’re phrase ‘carby goodness’! 🙂
Hello Kari. Just came upon your blog today and I’m living it. I’m looking for ways to improve my diet and your recipes look delicious and flavorful. I love this recipe and I’m looking to make it totally vegan for my son. I don’t know how to substitute non-vegan items with vegan. What I can I use for the protein and to replace the chicken stock and still have flavor. TY
I don’t have a lot of experience with meat replacements like tofu and such, but you could sauté up a bunch of mushrooms and add them in instead of the chicken, along with some canellini or navy (white beans) for protein, and swap out the chicken stock for veggie stock. Also be sure to use one of my dairy free substitutes for the dairy, and hopefully the mushrooms will add enough flavor. I sure hope this helps, and be sure to let me know how it goes, or if you have anymore questions!
This looks amazing! We have a new range of paste here in the UK made from sesame flour and is fully paleo, I will definitely give this recipe a go….also an amazing recipe to make up with turkey leftovers over this holiday period!
That is so neat, I’ll have to look for it here, I’m always looking for a good paleo pasta!
Yes please!!! My husband would LOVE this meal. Chicken pot pie is a favorite of his. This is such a great idea!
I sure hope he enjoys it! 🙂