One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

April 18, 2023

April 17, 2023

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A deconstructed pasta version of the ever classic Italian-American chicken parmesan. Cheesy and easy! You can have this comforting pasta ready under 40 minutes with minimal dishes.

Sometimes, chicken parmesan at resturants are a hit or miss. Not enough cheese, sauce is awful, chicken isn’t fried or breaded correctly, etc. I can’t say I found the perfect resturant to get a decent chicken parmesan yet, but I know when I make it, it’s delicious every time. Sometimes, I make little changes here and there, and those are always a hit or miss. For the perfect chicken parmesan, you need the right amount of sauce, the right amount of cheese, and definitely a good breading. This one pot pasta hits all of the marks! I love deconstructed dishes for that reason.

One-pot meals are always great, especially pastas. No extra dishes, no waiting for water to boil, and no draining. Using your favorite jarred sauce will make this even better! I use Rao’s all of the time. It’s my favorite jarred sauce to use.

How to make One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

A quick weeknight meal that’s super delicious is always a good thing to have. It’s flavorful and easy to prepare. Add a little ricotta to it to make this dish a creamy one-pot pasta! (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).

Penne Pasta: Any short pasta will do such as rigatoni, cavatappi, or ziti.
Chicken Breasts: You want boneless and skinless. You can use chicken thighs as well if you wish. Just make sure they’re also boneless and skinless.
Jarred Pasta Sauce: I use Rao’s pasta sauce, but use whichever sauce you like. You can even use homemade. Want to switch it up? Use vodka sauce, arrabiata sauce, or even alfredo sauce.
Chicken Broth: This is the liquid to cook the pasta in for this one-pot meal. It adds extra flavor. You can, however, use water if you wish. Swirling it around the empty jar of sauce with catch the leftover sauce.
Onions & Garlic: Extra flavor to add!
Fresh Mozzarella & Grated Parmesan Cheese: I prefer shredding my own cheese, which in some cases, the block of cheese is actually cheaper than the pre-shredded cheese! Shredding your own cheese is better because it melts so much better. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking powder that prevents it from melting to its gooiest potential. If you’re on a budget, then by all means you can use the shredded cheese over the blocks if it’s cheaper.
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning: Used to season the chicken.
Butter & Breadcrumbs: Mixing these two together helps the breadcrumbs toast beautifully.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large deep oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven. Add in the chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook until the chicken is mostly cooked, about 5 minutes, occasionally flipping to ensure even cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Tent with foil to keep warm. To the skillet, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions have softened. Pour in the jarred sauce. Pour the chicken broth into the now empty jar, then add it to the skillet. This will gather any remaining sauce out of the jar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken back in with any accumulated juices and the pasta. Stir to combine. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the parmesan and half of the mozzarella. Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella. In a bowl, combine together the butter and breadcrumbs, then sprinkle them on top of the pasta. Broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are toasted. Serve immediately.

Tips & FAQs

Storage: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: This one-pot chicken pasta can be stored in the freezer for up to two months in an airtight container.
Variations:
- Use vodka sauce, arrabiatta sauce, or alfredo sauce instead of the traditional marinara you would use.
- Add cooked broccoli or cauliflower to the dish before you add the cheese to melt.
- Substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, or chicken sausage. Take it out of its casing and break it up, or slice it into 1-inch slices and continue with the recipe.
- To make this meatless, substitute the chicken for your preferred plant-based meat. Or consider swapping chicken for chickpeas or another white bean. (Cannelini is a great option)
- Make your own sauce instead of buying jarred.

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Servings 6

Author Dani Bayer

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

35 Min

One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 medium yellow onion, minced or grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
30 oz jar of pasta sauce (I used Rao’s)
3 cups chicken broth
1 lb penne pasta, or other short cut pasta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
16 oz fresh mozzarella, grated
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup plain or Italian breadcrumbs

Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large deep oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven. Add in the chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
Cook until the chicken is mostly cooked, about 5 minutes, occasionally flipping to ensure even cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Tent with foil to keep warm.
To the skillet, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions have softened. Pour in the jarred sauce. Pour the chicken broth into the now empty jar, then add it to the skillet. This will gather any remaining sauce out of the jar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium to medium-low heat.
Add the chicken back in with any accumulated juices and the pasta. Stir to combine. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the parmesan and half of the mozzarella.
Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella. In a bowl, combine together the butter and breadcrumbs, then sprinkle them on top of the pasta. Broil** for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are toasted.
Serve immediately.

Notes

**If you are not using an oven-safe skillet: Toast the breadcrumbs with the butter in a small pan for 3-4 minutes, constantly stirring so it doesn’t burn. Sprinkle it on top of the pasta, then reduce the heat to low and cover to allow the cheese to melt, about 4-5 minutes.

Storage: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freeze: This one-pot chicken pasta can be stored in the freezer for up to two months in an airtight container.

Variations:

Use vodka sauce, arrabbiata sauce, or alfredo sauce instead of the traditional marinara you would use.
Add cooked broccoli or cauliflower to the dish before you add the cheese to melt.
Substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, or chicken sausage. Take it out of its casing and break it up, or slice it into 1-inch slices and continue with the recipe.
To make this meatless, substitute chicken for your preferred plant-based meat. Or consider swapping chicken for chickpeas or another white bean. (Cannelini is a great option)
Make your own sauce instead of buying jarred.