30 Minute One Pot Chicken & Pasta

This one pot cheesy chicken pasta meal is easy, quick and delicious. All cooked in one pan and ready in 30 minutes. A brilliant weeknight dinner!

For those times you want a quick dinner, minimal washing up and no arguments with the kids about eating their veg (ummm I actually want that every night) – then this one pan pasta is the answer!

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.

• First we soften the onions in a large frying pan (skillet) in a little oil. Then add the chicken, salt and pepper, and cook for a further few minutes to seal the chicken.
• Next in goes garlic, tomato puree (paste), chopped peppers, dried pasta, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, tinned tomatoes, stock and milk. Give it a stir, bring to the boil, then place a lid or some foil on top and let that simmer for 12-15 minutes.
• Right at the end, we add in the sugarsnap peas (snow peas), warm them through, then sprinkle the top with cheese and place the pan under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

That’s it! Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

I sometimes also serve it with some homemade cheese and tomato garlic bread (that recipe although delicious, involves making the dough from scratch, so it will take more time – but sometimes homemade garlic bread is just worth it).

Can I use fresh pasta?

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.

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.

Vegetarian version:

You can also make a vegetarian version, replacing 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

The 30 Minute One Pot Chicken & Pasta Video:

The 30 Minute One Pot Chicken & Pasta Recipe:

30 Minute One Pot Chicken Pasta

Cheesy Chicken Pasta with extra veggies - made in one pan!

4.46 from 11 votes

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Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Any Time Of the year, autumn, Fall, winter

Servings: 4 people

Author: Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion peeled and chopped
• 2 large chicken breasts cut into chunks
• 1 Pinch salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree (usually gluten free, but best to check if required)
• 1 red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped
• 4 1/2 cups (300g) dried pasta - such as spiralli (use a gluten free variety if required)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce (usually gluten free, but best to check if required)
• 28 oz (800g) tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups (300ml) chicken stock made from hot water from the kettle + 2 stock cubes (or 2 heaped tsp veg bouillon for gluten free)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk half fat or full fat
• 20 sugar snap peas/snow peas roughly chopped
• 1 packed cup (100g) mature/strong cheddar cheese grated/shredded
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add in the onions. Cook for 3 minutes on a medium-to-high heat until they start to turn translucent.
• 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).
• Add in the garlic, tomato puree and red peppers. Stir, then add in the 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. 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),
• then sprinkle the pasta with cheese and put it under the grill/broiler for a couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.
• Top with chopped chives and serve.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Can I cook the pasta in the sauce?

Yes, as you can see in the recipe, there's lots of liquid that does into this dish - including tinned tomatoes, stock and milk. A lot of this liquid is absorbed in the pasta during the cooking process, so the dry pasta will be fully cooked in the sauce, and the resulting sauce will be thicker.

Can I use fresh pasta?

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.

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.

Vegetarian version:

You can also make a vegetarian version, replacing 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

Nutrition info is for one serving of this recipe.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition Facts

30 Minute One Pot Chicken Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 580 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 9g45%

Cholesterol 67mg22%

Sodium 665mg28%

Potassium 1042mg30%

Carbohydrates 74g25%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 1590IU32%

Vitamin C 63.9mg77%

Calcium 308mg31%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This recipe was first posted in June 2015. Updated in December 2019 with new photos, tips and video.

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

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.