All the great chicken parmesan flavors, combined in one easy one pot pasta dish that’s ready in 30 minutes! Less dishes, but a meal with maximum flavor!
Do you love chicken parmesan, but don’t love all the dishes that come with it? Then this is the dish for you! One pot, 30 minutes! The pasta cooks in the pot with all the sauce and chicken, making it super flavorful!
I’m obsessed with one pot pasta dinners. They. Are. AMAZING!! No waiting for a big pot of water to boil, no draining, no extra pot to wash… just one pot of pure comfort food.
I also love chicken parmesan… SO much. But I definitely don’t love the tedious breading process, so many dishes to wash, and how long it can take to make it!
BUT, WHERE’S THE BREADING??
I opted to omit the breading here… to save calories, recipe steps, and to keep the ultra creamy consistency. If you really want that breading crunch, you could add some toasted Italian panko breadcrumbs to the top of the dish.
Of course, you could always bread some chicken tenders and cook them before laying them on top of the pasta, but that kinda defeats the whole “one pot” idea.
You can make this one pot chicken parmesan pasta in any large skillet or pot, but I always make it in my enameled dutch oven.
When I’m stirring the pasta as it cooks, I don’t want to be worried about the liquid slopping up and over the sides. I’m a messy cook, but no one likes to clean up burn on sauces from their stovetop!
If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a deep sided skillet, or a stock pot… but I highly recommend picking up a dutch oven, they have so many uses!!
To go alongside this pasta, I like to serve either my homemade cheesy garlic bread, cheesy garlic crescent rolls, or no knead artisan bread. Add a nice green salad and it makes the perfect trio!
In case your family isn’t licking the pot clean by the time dinner is over, this pasta reheats well for lunch the next day!
As the weeknights get busier and busier, do yourself a favor and whip up this 30 minute one pot chicken parmesan pasta!
Things you may need for this recipe: (these are affiliate links – see my disclosure page for more details)
- Dutch oven – I own several Le Creuset’s that I love too, but this is a much more affordable option, and it’s been a workhorse in my kitchen!
- Box grater – I like to grate my own cheeses… they get extra gooey and melty this way
- Marinara – This is the brand of marinara sauce that I like to use
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz dried short-cut pasta (I used rigatoni)
- 24 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Newman's Own)
- water to fill empty marinara sauce jar
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- additional dried Italian seasoning, optional
- fresh parsley and/or basil, minced for garnish
Instructions
- To a large pot or skillet (I used my dutch oven), add a drizzle of olive oil and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Add chicken, season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cook about 5 minutes, until chicken is most of the way cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Pour in marinara sauce, fill up empty sauce jar with water and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer.
- Add chicken and pasta, stir, then cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is cooked to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese on top of the dish and cook another 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and gooey.
- Sprinkle with additional Italian seasoning if desired, and garnish with parsley or basil.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sayantan Bardhan says
Lovely and simple to make
Marty H says
About what weight is the amount of chicken you’re recommending if making the full recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 lbs.
Chantal says
Thanks for sharing! My 3year old daughter loved it!!
T says
Could I make this with hamburger instead of chicken? Would I need to drain the fat after browning?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but I think it would be good with ground beef like you mentioned. I would probably drain after browning, but it will depend on the fat level of the meat.
Amza says
Wow this was absolutely amazing!!!!
Sharon Smith says
What an AMAZING MEAL, I just finished this for my Sunday’s dinner. Quick, easy and TASTE SO GOOD. I wasn’t completely happy with the taste, BUT WHEN I put those cheeses in there IT SEALED THE DEAL. THANK YOU❤❤❤
Frankie says
Love making this dish – I only have small portions so an entire pack of pasta with some chicken and lotsssss of cheese can make about 6 meals!
It freezes and reheats very well so I’ve always got emergency dinners and lunches for when I need them!
Judith Gibbons says
I decided to make this one night but didn’t have any mozzarella. But I had a chunk of Havarti pepper jack, and I had a jar of arrabbiata pasta sauce in the pantry and a red bell pepper in the fridge that needed to be used up, so I substituted the pepperjack for the mozzarella and the arrabbiata for the marinara sauce and added the chopped bell pepper to the onion step. It turned out to be absolutely delicious, with a nice little kick to it.
Cynthia Lewis says
Quarantine time and I have cooked chicken thighs to use up plus green pepper. Thanks for your review and the idea to add peppers I will just cut the thighs into chunks and go from there!
Marissa Krantz says
Hi,
I just checked Barilla’s website and they no longer make the short cut pasta. I’m noticing comments on here from 2020… so I’m guessing people are using regular dry pasta. Would that work as well or would you have too much liquid??
Thanks,
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Marissa, when I say dried short cut pasta, I mean just a shorter cut of regular dried pasta. For example, rigatoni, penne, etc would be short cuts, whereas spaghetti or linguine would be long cuts and not as suitable for this recipe. So yes, regular dried pasta in a box is what you should use 🙂
Alexa S. says
This turned out so good! Such a quick and easy recipe! Will definitely be making again! Thank you for sharing!
Crystal says
Is the parmesan cheese grated or shredded?
The Chunky Chef says
Whichever you prefer 🙂
Bailey says
You dont strain the water out of the pasta and chicken? Doesnt that leave it totally watery? Even with the sauce I feel like that would leave it super runny.
The Chunky Chef says
It’s not watery at all, as the dried pasta cooks in the liquid, and absorbs it.
Pam long says
Thank you for a dish my husband likes. We love it. I have the recipe for just the 2 of us. Except the cheese put in the full amount. No harm and so cheesy. We make it again and again!!!
Bethany says
If I don’t use chicken in this recipe, would I still use the same amount of liquid? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, since that’s what you need to properly cook the pasta.
Donnie says
Made this tonight and everyone loved it!
My only question when making something like this is how to stop the pasta from cooking. I set up an ice bath but it wasn’t quite a big enough container for my giant pot to go into. I hate mushy pasta so just need to get a better plan how to stop it from cooking when done bc I had a lot left I didn’t want to continue to cook more while we ate.
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you all loved it! You could always put the rest of it into a bowl while you eat, which should really hinder any continued cooking. Honestly, we all gobble it up so quickly, it’s never a problem here lol.
Abby says
Could I use shrimp instead of chicken ?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sure you could, but since shrimp can be overcooked very quickly, I would sear them in step 1, and remove them to a plate, but don’t add them back into the dish until it’s finished cooking.
Mallorie says
Would a 4ct dutch oven work?
The Chunky Chef says
It would be fairly full, but if you’re careful stirring, it’ll work just fine.
Shelly says
Hi! This looks scrumptious! Could you double the recipe in one pot? Or would that be too much?
The Chunky Chef says
Thank you! I’ve not tested doubling this recipe in one pot, so I can’t say for certain, but I think it would work well. Just make sure it’s a BIG pot 🙂
jenna says
this pasta is amaaaazing! i made it for a friendsgiving party and it was a huge hit 😀 I added some mushrooms and red pepper to this as well, super tasty 🙂 thanks for the recipe!
Craig says
Just made this, it was very good, i added fresh mushrooms as well
Crystal says
The best thing I’ve ever made! Wish I could eat this everyday for every meal lol