One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta – Plain Chicken

One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta – a quick and easy dinner winner! Made in one pan with tender pasta, juicy chicken, marinara sauce, gooey mozzarella, and a crispy garlic-panko topping. It’s all the flavors of classic chicken parm with way less cleanup—perfect for busy nights!

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Skillet Chicken Parmesan Pasta

One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta is comfort food at its best—rich, cheesy, and packed with flavor. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, soaking up all that rich, tomato flavor, and the chicken adds just the right amount of heartiness. With melty mozzarella and parmesan mixed in, every bite is cheesy and comforting. And let’s talk about that panko topping—crisped up under the broiler with a hint of garlic, it gives you the perfect crunch to go with all the gooey cheese. It’s basically chicken parm and pasta rolled into one dish, and since it’s all made in one pot, cleanup is a breeze too!

How to Make One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

This dish is effortless to make with only a few simple ingredients. Using a sharp knife, cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder—heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown. Add marinara sauce, water, uncooked pasta, and red pepper flakes. Cover and reduce to medium heat. Simmer until the pasta is tender – season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle the pasta with parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and panko bread crumbs. Spread bread crumb mixture over the pasta. Place the pan under the oven broiler and cook until the bread crumbs are toasted. Garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

• You can use any chicken that you have on hand. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins.
  • You can substitute rotisserie chicken.
• Our favorite store-bought marinara sauce is Rao’s. I also love Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Carbone, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
• You can use any short pasta noodles that you prefer.
  • Penne pasta, elbow macaroni, bowtie pasta, rotini, or fusilli pasta all work great.
• Substitute chicken broth for the water for extra flavor.
• Add your favorite veggies to the pasta:
  • spinach
  • onion
  • mushrooms
  • asparagus
  • diced tomatoes
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What to Serve with One-Pot Chicken Parm Pasta

This is one of our favorite weeknight meals. It is so easy to make, and the whole family loves it! One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta is a cozy, flavorful dish that goes great with a few simple sides to round out the meal. 

No matter what you serve with this pasta, it is a guaranteed hit! Looking for more pasta recipes? Here are some popular dishes from the website:

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One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta – a quick and easy dinner winner! Made in one pan with tender pasta, juicy chicken, marinara sauce, gooey mozzarella, and a crispy garlic-panko topping. It’s all the flavors of classic chicken parm with way less cleanup—perfect for busy nights!

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp herb and garlic seasoning
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 -oz campanelle pasta or mini shells
• 1 (24-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups water
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ cup grated parmesan divided
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

• Preheat broiler.

• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and season with herb & garlic seasoning.

• Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

• Add pasta, marinara sauce and water to the pan and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, until pasta is tender. Stir in 6 Tbsp parmesan cheese. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Top pasta with mozzarella cheese.

• Combine panko, melted butter, remaining parmesan and garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle over mozzarella cheese.

• Heat under broiler until bread crumbs are toasted and cheese is melted.

• You can use any chicken that you have on hand. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins.
  • You can substitute rotisserie chicken.
• Our favorite store-bought marinara sauce is Rao’s. I also love Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Carbone, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
• You can use any short pasta noodles that you prefer.
  • Penne pasta, elbow macaroni, bowtie pasta, rotini, or fusilli pasta all work great.
• Substitute chicken broth for the water for extra flavor.
• Add your favorite veggies to the pasta:
  • spinach
  • onion
  • mushrooms
  • asparagus
  • diced tomatoes
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steph