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.
John says
Truly an amazing recipe! View it this afternoon and decided to make it. It is great, so easy and so much flavour. Maybe next time I will add some mushrooms.
Do try this recipe indeed!
Michael Atkin says
My wife was getting her hair done. She always cooks. After I finished work – I thought I would whip up food. I am a good cook but will let others work if I don’t have to. This was simple and delisious. My speciality is spices. I added some Spike and a bit of Wye River Black. Perfect al dente. No muss, no fuss and delicious.
Julie Kang Harvey says
Excellent recipe. I made it tonight for dinner and the pasta turned out perfectly al dente and the chicken was tender. So easy. I used boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts. Clean up was only a cutting board and a pot. Will definitely be making this a regular go-to. Thanks for sharing.
Faye says
This was DELICIOUS!! I think next time I’ll add more chicken though, my family is FULL of carnivores haha
Taylor says
I want to make this but would be using a skillet, what would I need to do different?
The Chunky Chef says
Nothing would be different, just make sure it’s a deep skillet, or there won’t be enough room for the liquid and pasta.
Rich says
Does the pasta need to be cooked prior to adding it into the sauce?
The Chunky Chef says
Nope, it cooks right in the sauce 🙂
Andrea T says
Love it!
Instead of water, I used chicken broth to give it more flavor. Used colored rotini pasta and it just looks so cool.
Hallie says
Very yummy! I put in red bell pepper with the onion and garlic. I also added onion powder, dried parsley ,and basil. I grated fresh parmesan in the end as well. Thank you!
Elle says
We had this and it was a huge success with my picky husband. Easy to follow but tastes like it was a ton of work.
Tiff says
This was seriously so easy and very tasty! I can’t wait to make it again!
Janice says
Absolutely delicious and simple to make. I used a vodka sauce instead and was a huge hit. Thank you.
Diago D Smith says
I used ziti as a substitute, but still an amazing recipe. This is definitely not my last time cooking this one. Thanks for sharing
Marilyn Johnson says
I have some leftover grilled boneless chicken thighs. Do you think that would work in this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I think that would work just fine 🙂
Claire southall says
What can I use on top to make it crunchy? Panko breadcrumbs?
The Chunky Chef says
You could crush up some garlic croutons, which is what my family likes the best.
Stephanie says
Hi trying this recipe out tomorrow night!
Can I use tomato purée for the sauce?
The Chunky Chef says
Hope you love it! Yes, you can use puree if you’d prefer it over the marinara 🙂
Stephanie says
IT WAS SO DELICIOUS THANK YOU!!!!!
Krista says
UMMMM sooooo GOOOD!!! Try it, quick and easy! My fam loved it!
Justine F says
I LOVED this recipe!!!!!! I managed to shorten the cooking time by using precooked chicken strips (perdue shortcuts). I was hesitant by the amount of onion it called for, but it was perfect. I may experiment with different flavored marinara sauces to give the dish more flavor but it was seriously so effortless and delicious as is.
Nicole says
Very good recipe my children loved this meal I added my own seasoning I needed more taste besides the salt and pepper on the chicken I also don’t use garlic but other than that a quick easy meal
Amber Carson says
I make this all the time. One night I didn’t have any chicken on hand, so I substituted ground beef (I brown it with the onions and garlic, and then drain all of it together before adding the rest of the ingredients), and it was also a huge hit!
DEBBIE RAMIREZ says
Very good recipe! Made exactly as printed and everyone loved it and was very easy to prepare and cleanup on a busy weeknight. I do have a question regarding servings, how many ounces, cups or grams is considered one serving?
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t measure it exactly, just 1/6 of the whole recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!