My Chicken Parmesan Pasta takes everything I love about chicken Parmesan and turns it into an easy, cheesy pasta dinner that comes together in one skillet.
Instead of breading and frying chicken cutlets, I dice boneless chicken breasts, season them with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and brown them until they're golden. Then I build the sauce right in the same pan with onion, fresh garlic and marinara.
The best part is that I cook the rigatoni directly in the sauce. That means the pasta absorbs all that tomato, garlic and chicken flavor instead of being cooked separately and added at the end.
Once the pasta is tender, I stir in Parmesan and mozzarella, then cover the entire skillet with another layer of mozzarella and let it melt until it's gooey and stretchy.
A little fresh basil on top finishes everything off.
You get tender chicken, saucy rigatoni and plenty of melted cheese in every bite. It's got the flavors of Chicken Parmesan without having to bread, fry and assemble individual chicken breasts.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This recipe gives you those familiar Chicken Parmesan flavors without all the breading and frying.
Everything happens in one skillet, including cooking the pasta, which means fewer dishes and more flavor because the rigatoni absorbs the seasoned marinara as it cooks.
And then there's the cheese.
Mozzarella melts across the entire skillet while Parmesan adds that salty, nutty flavor underneath. When you scoop into it, you get the cheesy pull you want from a baked pasta without actually having to assemble and bake a casserole.
It's easy enough for a weeknight but still feels like serious comfort food.
Variations
Spicy Chicken Parmesan Pasta: Add ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic or use an arrabbiata sauce instead of regular marinara.
Three-Cheese Version: Add ½ cup ricotta along with the Parmesan, then finish with mozzarella.
Chicken & Sausage: Use 1 pound chicken and ½ pound sliced Italian sausage.
Extra Veggie: Add mushrooms, spinach, zucchini or bell peppers when sautéing the onions.
Creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta: Stir approximately ½ cup heavy cream into the sauce toward the end of cooking before adding the cheeses.
Baked Version: Transfer the finished pasta to a baking dish, add extra mozzarella and Parmesan, then broil until browned and bubbling.
More Traditional Chicken Parm Flavor: Add seasoned toasted breadcrumbs over the finished pasta. You'll get some of that crispy breading texture without actually frying the chicken.
One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced, about 1 tbsp
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta uncooked
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 24 oz water using the empty marinara jar*
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped, for garnish
- ½ teaspoon additional Italian seasoning optional for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You're looking for some nice browning on the outside. The chicken doesn't need to be completely cooked at this point because it will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the same skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the entire 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce. Add approximately 3 cups water and stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release the browned bits left behind by the chicken.
- Increase the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, reduce it to a strong simmer.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and add the 16 ounces of uncooked rigatoni. Stir well so the pasta is mostly submerged in the liquid.
- Cover and simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom. If the pasta absorbs the liquid before it's tender, add additional water about ½ cup at a time. Cook until the rigatoni is al dente and the chicken has reached 165°F internally.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in: ½ cup Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese. Mix until the cheeses melt into the sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover the skillet and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mozzarella is completely melted. And this is the part that gives you that cheese pull you captured in your photo.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and a little additional Italian seasoning. Serve immediately while that mozzarella is hot and gooey.
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