This cheesy one pot chicken pasta, loaded peppers and sugar snap peas, delivers rich, comforting flavour in just half an hour. With everything cooked in one pan, it’s easy to make and even easier to clean up – ideal for busy weeknights.
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Cathy says: “Yum! Easy and great flavour.
Also, THANK YOU for inserting the measurements at each point of the instructions. Heaps easier than having to scroll back and forth between the ingredients and the method.” See the comment
Nicky’s Recipe Notes
For those times you want a quick dinner, minimal washing up and no arguments with the kids about eating their veg (hmmm, I actually want that every night) – then this one pan chicken pasta is the answer! I love this recipe because it’s:
✅ Ready in 30 minutes!
✅ Easy to adapt to what you have in, different pasta, different veggies, different protein – no problem!
✅ You cook the pasta in the sauce you’re making – no need to boil it in a separate pan = less washing up
One pan recipes are my favourite!!
Table of Contents
30 minutes from start to finish, we just need to add ingredients to the pan as we go, and then stick it under the grill (broiler) at the end for a bubbling melted cheese topping.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make this easy one pan chicken pasta dinner you’ll need:
Watch how to make this one pot chicken pasta
Pro Tip
If you don’t want to put your pan under the grill/broiler to melt the cheese, simply add the cheese and place a lid or some foil on the pan for a few minutes. The cheese will melt nicely over the top (although it won’t brown at all).
Swaps or variations
You can replace the chicken with turkey or ham, and add extras such as cooked bacon and chorizo to this dish.
If you want to make the dish with leftover cooked chicken instead of raw, just add in at the same time as the garlic and peppers in step two.
If you want to add more veggies, green beans and chunks of courgette (zucchini) are great options. Add them in at the same times as the peppers.
You can swap the sugar snap/snow peas for spinach if you prefer.
The Pasta
I like to use spirali for this one pot pasta dinner but you can use fusilli, farfalle, penne or any pasta shape you’ve got in your store cupboard really.
Vegetarian version
You can also make a vegetarian version of this one pan pasta dish. Replace the chicken with mushrooms, quorn or tofu, and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock. I also have a few recipes for one-pot pasta vegetarian meals on the blog, including:
- One Pot Mushroom Ragu with Pasta
- One-Pot Cheese and Tomato Pasta with Spring Vegetables
- Garlic and herb one-pot spaghetti with courgetti
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItWhat to serve with one pot chicken pasta
Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley or basil and if you like, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese then place down on the table and let the family dig in.
I sometimes also serve it with some homemade garlic bread and/or a simple green salad.
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One Pot Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (or olive oil)
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 2 large skinless chicken breast cut into bite size chunks
- pinch salt and black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp tomato puree/paste in the US
- 1 red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
- 300 g (4 1/2 cups) dried pasta such as spiralli
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock (chicken broth) made from hot water from the kettle + 2 stock cubes
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk half-fat or full-fat
- 20 sugar snap peas/snow peas roughly chopped
- 100 g (1 packed cup) grated (shredded) mature/sharp cheddar cheese grated/shredded
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan/skillet and add in the onions. Cook for 3 minutes on a medium-high heat until they start to turn translucent.1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 large onion
- Add in the chicken, salt, and pepper. Cook for a further 3 minutes until the chicken is sealed (it won’t be cooked in the middle at this point).2 large skinless chicken breast, pinch salt and black pepper
- Add in the garlic, tomato puree, and red peppers. Stir, then add in the pasta.2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp tomato puree/paste in the US, 1 red bell pepper, 300 g (4 1/2 cups) dried pasta
- Now add in the oregano, Worcestershire sauce, tins of tomatoes, stock, and milk. Stir and bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes, 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock (chicken broth), 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk
- Cover with a lid or some foil and simmer for 12-15 minutes (checking occasionally) until the pasta is cooked.
- Stir in the chopped sugar snap peas (it’s nice to add them at the end, so they’re hot, but retain their crunch),20 sugar snap peas/snow peas
- Then, sprinkle the pasta with cheese and put it under the grill/broiler for a couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.100 g (1 packed cup) grated (shredded) mature/sharp cheddar cheese
- Top with chopped parsley and serve.1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Video
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
I prefer to eat this right away as I think it tastes better when freshly made, rather than after re-heating. However, you can make it ahead if you wish, and it will still be tasty.Make the dish, but don’t grill the cheese (just sprinkle it on), then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. It’s better to reheat in the oven (covered in foil) – as this will help the heat to disperse better, without the pasta being broken – as it would if it was being stirred in a pan. Heat in the oven at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes, until hot throughout. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes if you want to brown the cheese. Note: the dish will be a little less saucy if you make it ahead, as the pasta will absorb more of the liquid. You can add an extra few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.
Leftovers:
Leftovers can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to a day. I like to add a splash of water or stock to loosen up the pasta, then sprinkle on a little more cheese before reheating in the oven (covered) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese. You can also reheat in the microwave if you prefer. Heat on a high setting (cover with a microwave-safe cover, not foil), stirring once or twice during reheating, until piping hot throughout. Be sure to check there are no cold spots. This normally takes around 3-4 minutes per portion, but it will depend on your microwave.Will it freeze?
Yes, cool, cover and freeze. Then defrost in the refrigerator. As per the re-heat instructions above – reheat in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout. Again, add an extra few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.Swaps or additions:
You can replace the chicken with turkey or ham, and add extras such as cooked bacon and chorizo to this dish.If you want to make the dish with leftover cooked chicken instead of raw, just add in at the same time as the garlic and peppers in step two. If you want to add more veggies, green beans and chunks of courgette (zucchini) work great. Add them in at the same times as the peppers. Nutrition info is estimated per one serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
In order to make this 30 Minute One Pot Chicken Pasta you will need:
- Measuring Spoons.
- A good Kitchen Knife
- Chopping board
- Garlic press
- Measuring jug.
- A Frying Pan/Skillet
- Wooden or silicon coated spoons. We have recently bought these and love them.
- A cheese grater if you are grating the cheese yourself
Leftovers & Freezing
I prefer to eat this right away as I think it tastes better when freshly made, rather than after re-heating. However, you can make it ahead if you wish, and it will still be tasty.
Make the dish, but don’t grill the cheese (just sprinkle it on), then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. It’s better to reheat in the oven (covered in foil) – as this will help the heat to disperse better, without the pasta being broken – as it would if it was being stirred in a pan. Heat in the oven at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes, until hot throughout. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes if you want to brown the cheese.Note: the dish will be a little less saucy if you make it ahead, as the pasta will absorb more of the liquid. You can add an extra few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.
Freezing Instructions
Cool the pasta dish, cover and freeze. When you’re ready to reheat, then defrost in the refrigerator. Then as per the reheat instructions above – reheat in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout. Again, add an extra few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.
One Pot Chicken Pasta FAQ’s
Yes chicken and pasta are cooked together in the same pan, but not at the exact same time. The method starts by searing the chicken pieces first to build flavor, then adding pasta, liquid, and other ingredients to cook together in one pot. This technique ensures the chicken stays juicy and the pasta absorbs maximum flavor.
Yes you can, but you’d need to reduce the tinned tomatoes to 400g (14oz), reduce the stock to 80ml (1/3 cup) and reduce the milk to 60ml (1/4 cup). Fresh pasta doesn’t absorb as much liquid as dried pasta, and it also takes less time to cook.
Add all of the ingredients, except the fresh pasta, at step 2, then simmer (uncovered is fine) for 10 minutes. Then add the fresh pasta and cook for a further 4-5 minutes (or however long it says on the pack), before adding the sugarsnap peas and continuing with the recipe.
I find that a mature cheddar, that you’ve grated yourself, is the best for topping this one pan chicken pasta dish. It adds a rich cheesy, smooth flavour to the dish and melts really well under the grill/broiler.
More One Pot Dinners You’ll Love!
If, like me, you love saving on washing up then I have a whole collection of one pot dinners like this one pot chicken pasta that you need to take a look at. Here are some more of my favourites:
This recipe was first posted in June 2015. Updated in December 2019 with new photos, tips and video. Updated in July 2025 with additional information, added photos and for housekeeping reasons.
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This recipe is easy to make, delicious and tasty. Nicky’s cookbooks have more delicious recipes. I have really enjoyed them.
Simple and delicious. Definitely a step above the normal 30-minute one-pot recipe; my family are usually not fans of those but everyone enjoyed this. Felt like it needed a little something to make it 5 stars, but I did not have Worcestershire sauce so once I make it with that I will adjust my rating if it makes the difference. Also might try crushed red pepper? Regardless, a great go to for a busy night, I will be making again!
Lovely recipe and so easy to make. I added crushed chillis for a bit of kick! Definitely recommend