This easy to make, creamy chicken pasta dish is a go to recipe for three reasons: it's quick, filling and is great as a leftover, too. A creamy white cheese sauce covers tender pasta shells and chunks of seasoned ground chicken. A hit with the kids and family alike. Feel free to omit white wine if you prefer, but the alcohol does burn off.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil and cook pasta for 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain pasta. Do not rinse. Set aside and toss with some olive oil to help the shells not stick together.
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the diced onion, celery and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, stirring often. Add ground chicken and Italian seasoning. Break up the chicken with a spoon and cook until no longer pink. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up bits on bottom of pan. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the flour over the chicken mixture. Stir to cook for a minute and add the heavy cream, chicken stock and pasta water. Stir to mix thoroughly and lower heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, sauce will thicken. Add the cheese and stir to incorporate.
Add the cooked pasta to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Cook another 3 minutes on low, season to taste and serve immediately. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top (optional).
Notes
If reheating leftovers, add 1/4 cup milk to loosen it up and get saucy as the pasta absorbs.