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.
Diana Talbott says
This recipe sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it out.
Thank you!
Sana says
Came out tasty, but the thing is my pasta took much much longer to cook. Was worrying if I would burn the chicken or overcook it, but it finally cooked through.
wendy mcconnochie says
Came out liquidy. Would not make again
Michelle says
Love Love love
Melissa says
This is a huge hit with my family. I’ve made it 3 times in a month. Here are a couple tweaks that have worked for me: I marinate the chicken in a little olive oil, white vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings after cutting it up and let it sit for a few hours. My kids don’t like biting into bland pieces of chicken. I also use 2 jars of water to cook the pasta.if your chicken breasts are small, I recommend using 3 or 4. But if they are large, 2 should be enough.And that’s it! Otherwise this is a perfect and easy recipe! I love the one pot concept. Thank you for another fantastic recipe.
Wendy Southall says
I made this tonight. We loved it and it was so easy. It was a nice pasta dish that was different than the usual spaghetti and meatballs.
Myron Ruznisky says
Great recipe
Kady21 says
Can you use regular spaghetti sauce instead of marinara?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes that will work well.
Melissa says
Delicious dinner for this lazy days. I’ve made a few of your recipes now and they’ve all been perfect. This one is going into the rotation. So in love with the one pot concept.
JT says
Quick and easy to make. Lacked a bit of flavor, and could’ve used more chicken. I halved the recipe and it turned out fine, water to sauce ratio was good and none of the noodles stuck. Next time will add additional seasonings and maybe some mushrooms. Served with a Caesar salad.
Wendy says
I added extra spices and mushrooms the first time because it looked like it was lacking something. It was great
Clarence Patterson says
It was really good and easy to make. Family loved it. Will make again
Ashlyn Mitchell says
Simple and easy to follow. But it lacks flavor. This was very bland. I’d try a different pasta sauce next time
Willow says
The cook time and water volume once you add the pasta is off. I had to add water at the 11 minute mark as the farfalle pasta was getting dry and was still al dente. Otherwise a nice recipe. I added a little extra mozz to the top and a bit more of the spices for a bigger flavor punch
The Chunky Chef says
All stovetops have different btu levels for the burners and all pots conduct heat differently, so times given in recipes like these are a bit of an estimate. I wrote this recipe the way it works for me, in my kitchen, but I can’t possibly account for everyone’s stovetops and pots. I’m glad you were able to adjust the recipe to work for you, in your own kitchen 🙂
A.M. says
Easy and delicious! Perfect for beginners cooks like myself
Dee says
My grandson loves this dish and he can be a picky eater!
So good!!!
Susan says
Have made this in a instant pot?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe in an Instant Pot. So while I think it could be cooked in one, I can’t speak to the specifics with any certainty. If you do some experimenting and test using your Instant Pot, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Diane says
So easy to make and absolutely delicious!!! This is a no fail recipe and a huge hit with kids and adults!
Rosa Espinoza says
This recipe is so easy to make in the kids just love it
Annabelle says
My girls loved this meal! They’ve been asking for me to make it again. So, tonight I made it again but used ground chicken instead. My youngest didn’t care for the chunks of chicken last time. The ground chicken was perfect! I added a couple of bay leaves as well. This will be a regular family meal for us!
Lisa says
I made this dish tonight and it was a hit! My kids loved it. I used penne instead of rigatoni because that is what I had on hand. Also I used chicken thighs instead of breasts because I needed to use them and it turned out good! Will definitely make this again!