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.
Anthony says
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Simple and delicious. I’ll be making again soon
Kimberly Delmore says
My kids love this! They are so picky but said I need to make this more often. It was also pretty easy and very cheesy. Thanks for the great recipe.
Leslie says
Talk about easy dinner for a busy mom! Tastes great and is quick.
Tracey Embree says
How about using shredded cheddar or quesadilla queso shredded cheese?
The Chunky Chef says
You could always give it a try! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Amy says
This is so good! And so easy to put together. My family really enjoys it.
jessie says
Hello can you use ground beef with this recipe ?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sure you could, I just haven’t tested it so I can’t say for certain if any changes would need to be made.
Amanda says
So I made this recipe today and I followed it exactly to a T. At first I was very skeptical to just dump the pasta in dry and cook it like that, but boy was I ever wrong! This recipe is an instant favorite! My daughter wasn’t even done her first bowl and asked if I could make it again 😃
Thank you
Arica says
So easy and delicious!
I love that this is a one-pot recipe, keeping my dishes to a minimum! I was also a fan of the simplicity of it, when it came to the ingredients. This was easy to understand and follow, and it turned out perfectly! This will be a new regular for us.
Carly Cornett says
This is amazing! I also love all of your recipes. You’ve helped me break the same old everyday routine.
You rock!
Rebekah says
Could you use rotisserie chicken?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure thing 🙂
betty says
thanks
Leah says
Amazing recipes!!!!!!!
Jocelyn says
About how many pounds of chicken would you say you used? I see such variation in sizes of chicken breasts.
The Chunky Chef says
I would estimate between 1 and 1.5 lbs.
Ashlee says
I’ve left a comment before but I’m back with another. After over a year this is still one of my now 3-year-old’s favorite dinners! Such an easy, quick recipe and absolutely delicious!
Trisha says
Could you use frozen popcorn chicken, if you cooked prior and put in the paste at the end?
The Chunky Chef says
Sure thing 🙂
Coreyona Soles says
This is one of my favorite meals to cook its so delicious and my family truely enjoys it!
Sydney says
Big fans! Ingredients were already in my kitchen, only dirtied one pan, the flavor and texture were perfect. Adding this to our menu!
Lynne says
I needed something really quick and have never cooked the pasta in the pot with sauce and water. This was delish and fast
Nice shortcut
I had half a pint of heavy cream leftover from thanksgiving so added it at the end after I had served it to my kids.
Delish as written but yummy with the cream.
Yasmina says
I only changed the sauce, I used spicy Vodka sauce and turned out exelente👍
Crystal says
This recipe is bomb. Subscribing now