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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
Video
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.
Erika says
So good! Are there additional/ different instructions if using chicken thighs instead?
Sarah says
So good! 10/10 in my house.
Nicole says
Delicious and easy to make.Used my Dutch oven as suggested. Adding to my family dinner menu. So nice when you can find a new easy dish that everyone loves!
SloeJynFizz says
This was the easiest recipe for someone who didn’t start cooking until age 39…lol. I have made it several times even with ground beef or meatballs instead of chicken and it’s just as delicious! It’s a definite part of our weekly rotation!
Ricki says
This came our perfect. My 12 year old son served himself seconds as did my husband. I LOVE cooking the pasta in the same pot. Thank you.
Makayla Graves says
This was so yummy!!
Beverly stiltner says
We all loved it. Will make again. Going to try some more of your one pot meals. I sure do like the idea of less dishes.
Mary says
I LOVE this recipe but every time I make it the pasta burns on the bottom of the pot and it’s a pain to clean up. Any idea where I could be going wrong?
The Chunky Chef says
Hmm, does the pot you’re using have a heavy or thick bottom? Thinner pans conduct heat differently and you may have hot spots (which can lead to burning). You could also try using a less powerful stovetop burner, or cooking at a low simmer instead. Hope that helps 🙂
ti says
can i cook the pasta separately
The Chunky Chef says
You can, but the liquid ratios in this recipe are designed for cooking the pasta in the same pot, so you’d need to play around with the amount of liquid.
Robert says
I made this and it was very quick and tasty. I would not cook the noodles in the sauce and water if I made this again. They tend to stick and burn on the bottom of the pot and make a huge mess to try to clean up the pot. I would just simmer the sauce and chicken without mixing all that water, cook the noodles until tender is a separate pot with water, drain, and mix into the pot when I add the cheese.
Aleisha says
Hi there, I feel so dumb for asking, but I am on an unbelievably strict budget for me and my family, and just wanted to ask if I need fresh parmesan, or grated…
The Chunky Chef says
No need to feel dumb, all questions are good questions! While we love the flavor of freshly grated parmesan cheese, I completely understand how tight budgets can be, so please feel free to use a can/container of pre-grated parmesan 🙂
Stephanie says
Substituted white for yellow onion. Added more water so pasta could cook. Really tasty! Mom helped me chop onion.
dora hernandez says
this recipe was so easy!!! anyone could do it, literally anyone! u would have to be reallyyyyy dumb to mess this up and put too much water. a blind dog could do it! so yummyyyyyyy
Felisha (Roe) Collins says
Love this recipe it’s so easy and fast and everyone just loves it.. I’ve already cooked it several times just this year.. lol.. great recipe thanks.
Chrissy says
Delicious! Was qucik and easy to make, and my sons loved it. Definately a keeper. Thank you.
Sherry King says
It worked.
Rocky says
Can honestly say in my 38 years of living and 20+ of cooking I have left ZERO reviews from the thousands of online recipes I’ve used. This is the first. This recipe was perfect, I made it almost exactly as is (no onion), and I added toasted panko bread crumbs. I just sent it to my food-obsessed family for them to try. Kudos on this recipe! Very delicious and very easy! And I’m not often pleased with online recipes 😉
Lindsey says
New family favorite! I have 2 picky eaters and they loved it! My daughter doesn’t like a lot of melted cheese (crazy right?) so at the end I just didn’t top off with cheese on one side. I didn’t have mozzarella on hand so I used shredded Colby Jack, came out perfect! One pan, simple ingredients, easy recipe, fast to cook and delicious! Definitely going to try more of your recipes. 🙂
CraigyBobby says
Love this recipe. The only thing I adapted was that I made the sauce a bit creamy by adding sour cream and also added a little red wine! Fantastic! Tastes like chicken parm! And so easy!
Nicole says
This was so easy and yummy!
Emily says
Hi, I made this the other day and it made more than expected, is it okay to freeze?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but I think it should work well 🙂