Creamy Chicken and Halloumi Pasta
This Creamy Chicken & Halloumi Pasta makes a perfect weeknight family dinner. Golden chicken, lightly crispy halloumi and a creamy tomato sauce all tossed through pasta and it’s made mostly in one pan! On the table in around 25 minutes!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 697kcal
Equipment
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 300 g (3 cups) rigatoni pasta
- 2 medium chicken breasts diced into small cubes
- 225 g (8oz) halloumi diced into small cubes
- 1 medium red onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 250 ml ( 1 cup) chicken stock
- 3 tablespoon tomato puree
- 150 g (5 oz) cream cheese
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- teaspoon mixed Italian herbs
- tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes optional
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Before draining, reserve a cup of pasta water.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, cook the onion for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the halloumi cubes and fry until lightly golden on the edges.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Stir in the smoked paprika, herbs and chilli flakes if using. Season well.
- Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute to remove any raw flavour.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Reduce the heat and stir through the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir until everything is coated.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Reserve some pasta water before draining — it helps loosen the sauce and makes it silky rather than thick.
- Let the chicken brown properly before stirring so it stays juicy and doesn’t steam.
- Don’t move the halloumi around too much while frying — leaving it alone helps it turn golden instead of rubbery.
- Cook the tomato purée for a minute before adding stock to avoid a sharp flavour.
- Add pasta water gradually at the end until the sauce coats the pasta nicely.
- Taste before adding extra salt — halloumi is naturally quite salty.
- Keep it mild for kids or add chilli flakes for a little warmth.
- For dairy-free, swap the cream cheese and replace halloumi with extra chicken or a dairy-free alternative.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 697kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 967mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1235IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 636mg | Iron: 2mg
