Creamy One Pot Pasta with Chicken

What I Love About One Pot Chicken Pasta

There are nights when hectic days get in the way of meal planning or even dinner at all! Evenings when you’re racking your brain for an inspired idea that the family will enjoy, something that contains protein and vegetables, and is ready in 30 minutes or less.

For me, one pot recipes always come to the rescue! And this one pot creamy chicken pasta is delightful, easy, and often makes an appearance at the weeknight dinner table.

One of our most popular pasta dishes is our One Pot Pasta with Ground Beef. Because it’s so easy, I often reinvent that recipe with seasonal vegetables and varying proteins. For this recipe, I’m using boneless skinless chicken breasts. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

One Pot Chicken Pasta Ingredients

This easy one pot pasta with chicken is made with simple ingredients, including a spice rub, short pasta, broccoli and greens, and is finished with a creamy sauce. All cooked in one pot. Here’s what you need:

• Olive oil: This is used to saute the spiced chicken
• Chicken: You can use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• Spices: You’ll need onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. If preferred, you can use your favorite spice blend, such as Italian seasoning, Mediterranean, or Cajun, to vary the flavors. We’ll add a grated garlic clove for additional sweet-savory flavor.
• Pasta: Look for short pasta or tube-shaped pasta, such as macaroni, farfalle (also known as bow tie), penne, or ziti.
• Broccoli: We’ll use broccoli florets cut from about 1 large head of broccoli.
• Greens: I’m using arugula from my garden as it’s in season right now, but you can substitute spinach, kale, or any other leafy green you prefer.
• Sauce: A simple savory sauce of milk (or coconut milk), cream cheese, grated Parmesan, and fresh lemon juice from about one lemon is all you need!

How to Make One Pot Chicken Pasta

Quick overview: The chicken and spices are sautéed in olive oil until cooked through and then removed from the pot. The pasta is then added and cooked, with the broccoli tossed in during the last few minutes. The dish is finished by stirring in the sauce ingredients, cooked chicken, and greens. Here are the details:

Step 1: Saute the chicken

Preheat a large Dutch oven or pasta pot and add the olive oil. When hot, add the chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

Step 2: Cook the pasta in the same pot

To the same pot, add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add the pasta with 3 cups of water. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes, depending on the type of pasta.

A couple of minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli florets and stir until they become bright green and soften. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and parmesan until smooth and creamy. The sauce thickens as it’s stirred and the pasta absorbs the liquid, and it cools.

Step 3: Add cooked chicken, greens & serve

Add the chicken back to the pot, along with the arugula and lemon juice. Stir until well combined and serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese as desired.