One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
This easy Chicken Parmesan Pasta combines seasoned chicken, rigatoni, marinara sauce, Parmesan and plenty of melted mozzarella in one skillet. It's cheesy, saucy, filling and gives you the flavors of classic Chicken Parmesan with a fraction of the work.
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.
Video
Recipe Tips
Don't walk away from the pasta once it's in the skillet.
Because we're cooking the rigatoni directly in the sauce, it needs to be stirred occasionally. The pasta will continue absorbing liquid as it cooks.
If it looks dry before the rigatoni is tender, add more water. If it looks too loose when the pasta is finished, remove the lid and let everything simmer for another couple of minutes before adding the cheese.
