White Sauce Chicken Pasta without Cheese

The easiest way to ruin this kind of chicken pasta is to let the sauce get too thick before the pasta ever goes in. I’ve done it more than once: the skillet looks silky and perfect, then a minute later the pasta absorbs the extra moisture, the sauce tightens, and dinner lands on the table heavier than it should be.

This version fixes that. The sauce is stopped while it still looks slightly loose, then finished with a little pasta water so it stays smooth and glossy instead of pasty. The chicken is cooked first and set aside so it stays tender, and the sauce gets its body from broth, flour, and unsweetened oat milk rather than cream or cheese.

It’s the kind of weeknight pasta that feels comforting and creamy, but not overly rich. If you’ve ever made a dairy-free white sauce that turned bland or stiff, this is the version I’d use to avoid both problems.

Why This Dairy-Free Chicken Pasta Actually Stays Creamy

• The sauce is built with onion, garlic, broth, and milk, so it still tastes savory and full without cream or cheese.
• The chicken is browned first, then taken out of the pan, which keeps it tender instead of overcooked.
• The sauce is finished with pasta water at the end, which keeps it glossy and loose instead of turning thick and heavy.

Ingredients for a Creamy Dairy-Free Chicken Pasta

• 8 ounces penne or rigatoni (225g)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces (450g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced (150g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (25g)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (360g)
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened oat milk or unsweetened almond milk (300g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon 👉dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

How to Make Dairy-Free White Sauce Chicken Pasta

1. Cook the pasta

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 1 minute shy of package time so it still has a little firmness in the center.
2. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

2. Cook the chicken until lightly golden, not dry

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The pan should be hot enough that the chicken sizzles when it goes in, but the oil should not be smoking.
2. Add the chicken in a single layer. Season with half the salt, the black pepper, and the garlic powder. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until the outside is lightly golden and the thickest piece reaches 165°F.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Soften the onion and garlic

1. Lower the heat to medium. Add the dairy-free butter and onion to the same skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion looks soft, glossy, and translucent, not browned.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant. Don’t let it darken.

4. Build the roux

Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, scraping the pan so there are no dry patches left. The mixture should smell slightly toasted, not raw.

5. Whisk in the Broth Gradually

1. Add a few splashes of chicken broth first, whisking each addition into a smooth paste. Once the mixture is smooth, slowly pour in the remaining broth, whisking constantly. Then whisk in the milk.
2. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.

6. Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon

1. Cook the sauce for 3 to 5 minutes, whisking often, until it coats the back of a spoon and a whisk dragged across the skillet leaves a trail for 1 to 2 seconds. Stir in the dried parsley and the remaining salt.
2. This is where white sauce usually gets pushed too far. If it already looks very thick in the pan, it will be thicker once the pasta goes in.

7. Finish the pasta

1. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of reserved pasta water and stir. Add more, a spoonful at a time, until the sauce looks glossy and fluid in the pan.
2. Taste and adjust salt and pepper at the end. Stir in the fresh parsley and serve right away.

For another fast pantry-style pasta, try this Easy Pasta Carbonara (No Egg) for a simple weeknight dinner with a silky sauce.

The Best Non-Dairy Milk for This White Sauce

Unsweetened oat milk gives the best texture here. It makes a fuller sauce with a little more body, so the pasta feels creamy without needing cheese or cream.

Unsweetened almond milk works, but the sauce will be lighter and slightly thinner. It still works well—you just need to season it more carefully, and you’ll usually want a splash more pasta water at the end so the sauce stays smooth instead of stiff.

Soy milk is also fine if it’s plain and unsweetened. It gives more body than almond milk and a neutral enough flavor for pasta.

Use only unsweetened milk. Sweetened versions throw the sauce off immediately.

How to Keep the Sauce Smooth and Glossy

• Add the broth gradually at first so the flour blends smoothly.
• Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.
• Stop cooking as soon as it coats the back of a spoon.
• Loosen it with pasta water at the end and serve it right away.

If you love creamy chicken pasta dinners, this Marry Me Chicken Pasta is another reader favorite with a richer sauce.

Easy Variations

White sauce chicken pasta with spinach

Add 2 to 3 handfuls of fresh spinach (60g to 90g) during the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking. Stir until wilted.

If using frozen spinach, thaw it first and squeeze it dry so it doesn’t water down the sauce.

Gluten-free white sauce chicken pasta

Use your favorite gluten-free short pasta and cook it just to al dente. For the sauce, replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.

Watch the texture closely, since some blends thicken faster than wheat flour.

How to Store and Reheat It

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat, add the pasta to a skillet or saucepan with a few tablespoons of water or extra milk. Warm it over low heat, stirring gently, until the sauce loosens and turns smooth again.

Microwave reheating works too, but use short bursts and stir between each one.

This is not my favorite make-ahead pasta for company. It’s best fresh, because the sauce is at its smoothest right after cooking.

White Sauce Chicken Pasta FAQ

Why did my sauce turn thick and sticky instead of creamy?

Usually because it was reduced too far before the pasta was added. This sauce should still look slightly loose in the skillet, since the pasta keeps absorbing liquid after it goes in. A splash of reserved pasta water at the end helps bring it back to a smooth consistency.

What is the best dairy-free milk for this recipe?

Unsweetened oat milk gives the fullest, creamiest texture. Unsweetened soy milk also works well. Almond milk is usable, but the sauce will be lighter and needs a little more attention with seasoning.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can, but it’s best fresh. Flour-thickened sauces tighten as they sit, so leftovers usually need a splash of water or non-dairy milk when reheated.

Can I add spinach or mushrooms?

Yes. Spinach is the easiest add-in and can go in near the end. Mushrooms work too, but cook them separately first so they don’t release excess moisture into the sauce.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (about 1/4 of the recipe): 460 calories, 34g protein, 12g fat, 51g carbohydrates.

These values are approximate and will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.