5 Ingredient Creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta (One Pot Meal)

Creamy chicken parmesan pasta is the ultimate trifecta: a one-pot wonder, a 30-minute meal, and a weeknight winner! Cheesy goodness, pan seared chicken and penne pasta combine to make the most delicious one pot dinner!

This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights where you need to have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Using only 5 ingredients, this one pot chicken parmesan pasta is quick, easy and it will be a family favorite!

If you’re looking for more easy weeknight meals, check out my recipe for Quick Broccoli Cauliflower Pasta or my Healthy Italian Wedding Soup Recipe with Chicken Meatballs.

This post is all about how to make a one pot, 5 ingredient creamy chicken parmesan pasta.

Ingredients You Need for One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

1. Chicken. For this recipe you will need a package of good quality boneless skinless chicken breast. What do I mean by good quality?
   • Don’t fall for the marketing traps! It’s not enough for the package to state “no antibiotics or hormones.” These have been illegal in the United States for years now.
   • The best quality chicken is organic (I know, I know, the priceee). But, the extra cost is worth getting delicious, clean, non GMO chicken!
2. Pasta. Any short cut pasta shape will work. I like using penne or farfalle (bowties) for creamy chicken parmesan pasta.
3. Sauce.
4. Mozzarella. You don’t have to be very specific here. I have used fresh mozzarella ripped up into chunks or the baked shredded variety. They both work.
5. Basil. It’s gotta be fresh. When you’re working with leftover or jarred marinara, fresh herbs go a long way in waking the sauce back up. Don’t skip this step!

Note: There are a few “ingredients” I don’t count in the 5 because most people already have them in their kitchen. These are extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese (if this isn’t a staple in your house, you have made a wrong turn in life).

How Do I Make Creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta?

*This is just an overview, for the complete recipe with precise ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, see the printable recipe at the bottom of this page.

1. Prep the chicken. Cut it about 1-inch cubes and season it with a generous pinch of salt, cracked black pepper, and half of the Italian seasoning. It should look like this:
2. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven or heavy pot on medium heat.
3. Brown the chicken in batches over medium heat for a few minutes per side until golden brown, but not completely cooked through. This is a super important detail! The chicken will have a chance to finish cooking later with the pasta, so don’t cook it too long in this step or it will dry out. Also, you don’t want to overcrowd the pan, or the chicken will steam instead of brown. Take a few extra minutes and work in batches!
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
5. To the same pot with the chicken drippings in the bottom, add the marinara sauce and water and bring to a gentle boil. Season with salt, pepper, the remainder of the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and roughly torn basil leaves.
6. Add the pasta to the boiling liquid along with the chicken. Cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the pasta is nice and al dente. 
7. Add the shredded mozzarella to the top of the pot and cover for 1-2 more minutes or until all the cheese is nice and melty.
8. Serve each dish with some thinly sliced basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese!

Chicken Parmesan Pasta Substitutions and Additions

What if I don’t have leftover marinara sauce?

Don’t worry, you have a couple of options.

The first (and easiest choice) is to simply use a jar of prepared marinara sauce. The absolute best quality and taste on the market is this one by Rao’s. The ingredients are very clean, it tastes homemade, and it’s available at most grocery stores. Have I sold you yet?

The second option is to make a quick sauce using canned tomato sauce or diced tomatoes. This is not as hard as sounds!

Simply diced up a small onion and mince two cloves of garlic. After you brown the chicken, use the drippings in the bottom of the pot to sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add in the tomatoes and let it simmer for 15 minutes or so to let the flavors combine. At this point add the water and continue on with the recipe!

Can I use a different pasta shape or type?

Of course! Any shortcut pasta would be fabulous here. I have made this dish with many different pasta shapes like rigatoni, farfalle (bowties), and gemelli. I would pick your family favorite or whatever you have on hand. Just make sure to adjust your cooking time depending on what pasta you choose!

You can also opt for a different variety of pasta. Wholewheat, chickpea, lentil pasta are sold in most grocery stores. Although a bit healthier, these may alter the taste of your dish. But, if health is paramount and you don’t mind the flavor, go ahead and make the switch.

If you’re going with a traditional, durum wheat semolina pasta, make sure to buy organic! Organic pasta products are not sprayed with harmful chemicals that are known to have negative impacts on your health. Try this brand!

Can I substitute the meat?

Absolutely! Chicken thighs would be a great option for this recipe! They are nutrient-dense, affordable, and packed with flavor. If that’s what you have in your freezer, I say use it!

Even though this is a chicken parmesan pasta recipe, you could use any meat and this dish would come out divine. I mean, it’s pretty hard to mess up pasta with marinara sauce and lots of gooey cheese. So, if you have a package of Italian sausage or ground beef that needs to get used up, you really can’t go wrong here.

If you go with ground beef, you will still end up with a delicious dish. It will just taste more like a deconstructed, one pot lasagna (yum). Make sure you drain off some of the fat that is released during cooking, or you will end up with too much grease!

I think sausage would be delicious in this one pot pasta. I would stick with Italian sausage (you can use sweet or hot). All you have to do is score each sausage link and remove the casing. Next, crumble it in the hot oil until crispy and browned.

Note: whatever meat you choose to make with this recipe, make sure to remove it from the pot before adding the liquid. Keep reading the pro tips section below to find out why!

Can I add a veggie to my chicken parmesan pasta?

YES! I love the idea of making this a complete meal by adding a vegetable. In the past, I have used a package of spinach. It could not be easier. Open the package and simmer away with the chicken and pasta. Yum!

You could also add some broccoli florets. Broccoli is a great option to round out any meal. You can use fresh or frozen, just throw it in with the pasta and chicken and it will be delicious. If you you prefer the broccoli to be tender-crisp, try adding it in when the pasta has about 3 minutes of cooking time left. This way, the broccoli will maintain more of its shape.

Peas are my go-to when I don’t know what to use. I always have a bag of organic peas hanging out in the freezer for this very purpose. They add a subtle sweetness and a nice texture to any dish, and are generally unoffensive with the kids as far as veggies go. They also pair perfectly with pasta in just about any sauce!

Pro Tips for Chicken Parm Pasta

How to get super moist chicken

This is the most important tip to make your creamy chicken parmesan pasta the absolute best it can be. You must remove your chicken after it’s browned and transfer it to a plate before adding the liquid. 

Why, you ask? If you keep the chicken in the pot and add the water and marinara and heat everything together, by the time the liquid is boiling and the pasta is cooked, your chicken will taste like a desert! Chicken breast drys out extremely fast. To make sure you end up with velvety, moist (ew) chicken that melts in your mouth, you have to take a few key steps:

1. Make sure your oil is hot. If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will cook through while you’re waiting for it to get nice and golden brown. To avoid this common mistake, make sure you let the oil heat up in the bottom of a dutch oven or heavy pot until it starts to look shimmery. Yep, that’s the best I can do  for a descriptive. Sorry.
2. Get the chicken golden brown and get it out. You do NOT want the chicken to be cooked through at this stage. You will be adding the chicken back in your dish with the pasta later on to finish cooking.
3. Return the chicken to the pot with the pasta to finish cooking. This way, it doesn’t overcook while the water and marinate is coming up to a gentle simmer.

If you overcook your chicken in this step, don’t panic. Just return it to the pot during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time to heat it back up instead of adding it back in with the pasta.

If you’re wondering why you wouldn’t just do this to begin with, it’s simple. I have tried it both ways. The chicken comes out much moister (okay seriously, there has got to be a better word choice) when you brown it and let it finish cooking in the simmering sauce with the pasta.

How to prevent your pasta from overcooking

My other important tip: do not to overcook your pasta. For this recipe, cook the pasta on a gentle simmer instead of a roiling boil like you normally would with water. Because of this, it may take an extra minute or two until the pasta is nice and al dente.

The best way to tell if it’s done is to taste it. Start by cooking for the recommended amount of minutes for al dente, and taste it to make sure it’s done. If not, continue cooking in 1-minute intervals and then testing to make sure you don’t overcook the pasta!

It also helps to stir everything around every couple of minutes to make sure the pasta/sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pot.

Home made health spotlight: basil.

Basil tastes like it came straight from Heaven. Seriously. Is there a more perfect pair than tomato and basil? But, I digress.

Basil contains both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Consuming basil regularly may also decrease stress levels and improve mental wellbeing.

Additionally, research has shown that basil can even help to regulate blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes!

This post was all about how to make a quick and delicious creamy chicken parmesan pasta. Now that you have an easy dinner, you need a yummy dessert! Try my recipe for 7 Ingredient Birthday Cake Ice Cream!