One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

Name: One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder; ¼ teaspoon crushed pepper flakes; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon dried thyme; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 cup diced onion; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 5 cups water; 2 cups heavy cream; 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 pound penne (or any pasta of choice); 4 ounces cream cheese block (cut into cubes); 1 cup shredded parmesan (freshly shredded); Fresh minced parsley and basil (for garnish)

Posted ByPrecious

Published Sep 23, 2024

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This One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta is a delightful and hearty midweek meal that is bound to please everyone. As the name suggests, it’s a one-pot wonder, and the flavors are simply divine. It’s a dish that’s as comforting as it is satisfying, and it’s a complete meal in itself.

Creamy pasta in a bowl, topped with pan-seared chicken.

If you’ve been looking for a versatile and easy meal to prepare using chicken and readily available ingredients, this creamy chicken pasta is a perfect choice.

The chicken and pasta are cooked in the same pot, and the whole meal takes less than 35 minutes to prepare, leaving you plenty of time to get creative with your other dishes.

If you’re a fan of pasta dishes, you’ll be delighted to know that there are more recipes to explore. Consider trying my Steak and Mushroom Pasta or my Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta for a change of pace!

One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe

I often make creamy pasta dishes, a hit with my family. They particularly love the classic Macaroni & Cheese. But I’m always on the lookout for new twists to keep things interesting. You’ll find a variety of creamy pasta dishes on the blog, and I’m a big fan of creamy chicken dishes, too.

One-pot meals are a game-changer for me, especially when it comes to cleaning up. The convenience of a one-pot recipe means fewer dishes to wash and more time to relax with my whole family after a meal.

Most of the pasta dishes, when it comes to the preparation, required me to boil the pasta and then add it to other ingredients at some later point in time. I would get annoyed because it was just one more step and more dishes I did not have the time for or the energy to wash. Well, that is where I came up with this recipe (and a few more) that incorporated all the steps in one pot! “

Ingredients Needed

Here are the main elements of this recipe that you should know. Every component used in the preparation of the One pot creamy chicken pasta is very vital in the making of this healthy and delicious pudding.

Ingredients for one pot creamy chicken pasta.

Chicken: For this recipe, I am using chicken thighs because I like the taste and the tenderness of the meat. You may also use chicken cutlets or chicken tenderloins.
Pasta: This one-pot pasta dish is versatile and can be made with any type of pasta you fancy! I have chosen penne pasta for this recipe, but other pasta, such as ziti, rotini, farfalle, or shells, are good as well.
Onion and Garlic: These aromatics are sautéed to make a toasty under layer of flavor to the base of our pasta dish.
Heavy cream and Cream cheese: Ideal for adding the perfect amount of creaminess.
Parmesan Cheese: When possible, freshly grated parmesan cheese directly from a wedge is recommended as opposed to packaged grated cheese. It will give you a much better taste and texture as a result.
Fresh parsley: This lightens up what may otherwise be a somewhat dense dish. But you can always avoid it if you don’t like it, though!

There are other ingredients needed in this recipe. Please do not forget to look at the recipe card below. There, you will find a detailed list of all the ingredients and their measurements.

One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe Variations

One pot creamy chicken pasta can be prepared in numerous ways depending on your preferred taste. Here are a few ideas:

Add-ons: Enhance the meal with add-ons like cooked bacon and chorizo to this meal.
Gluten-Free: Want a gluten-free version of One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta? It’s simple: Use gluten-free pasta!
Vegetarian: If you want to make this dish vegetarian, leave out the chicken. You can replace it with crispy tofu by first frying it separately and then adding the tofu on top of the pasta once ready to serve.

Close-up shot of a bowl of creamy pasta.

Substitutions

No need to worry, if you do not have all the ingredients present now! Here are a few substitutions that will work just as well:

Meat: Don’t have any chicken? That is no problem. You can use ground turkey or kielbasa sausage to replicate this recipe. You could also try with other chicken parts, such as chicken tenderloins or chicken cutlets.
Pasta: You can use spaghetti or any long pasta or short pasta shape that you prefer. I went with penne pasta for this recipe, but you can use fettuccine, ziti, rotini, bow tie, farfalle, or even shells.
Cheese: Cheddar, feta, halloumi, or any other type of cheese can be used instead of parmesan cheese.

How to Make One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

When preparing all one-pot dinners, make sure you are using a big skillet or a Dutch oven. Literally, everything required space to grow through the stages of the flavoring.

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture.

Chicken placed on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture.

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with half a teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder, crushed pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and dried thyme.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken

Place a medium to large pot on medium-high heat. Add the two tablespoons of olive oil. Let it heat up until shimmering, then add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side.

Boneless chicken thighs cooking in a pot.

Remove the chicken from the pot.

Step 3: Sauté

Next, add the diced onion and garlic to the pot and stir. Let them cook for about 2 minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Step 4: Add Liquids and Bring to a Boil

Then add the five cups of water, 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder, and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot halfway and bring to a rolling boil.

Step 5: Cook the Pasta

Add the penne and let it cook until the pasta has absorbed about half of the liquid.

Then, add the cubed cream cheese. Let it cook covered for about 2 minutes to let the cream cheese heat up. Then, stir to combine. At this point, add some more red pepper flakes or some freshly cracked black pepper to balance the richness.

Seasoning added to one pot creamy pasta.

Make sure to stir the pasta frequently so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan or clump together.

Step 6: Finish Cooking the Pasta

Let it cook until the pasta is al dente. There will still be some liquid at the bottom of the pot, which is great for saucier pasta.

Step 7: Add Chicken, Parmesan and Herbs

Slice the chicken and add to the pot (or reserve the chicken for adding to the pot later – the method used in the photos). add half of the shredded parmesan and stir in. Reserve the other half for serving.

Parmesan added to the pot of creamy pasta.

Add fresh minced parsley and basil and stir in. That will add specks of green to the meal. Plus, the herbs will add a fresh, herby flavor.

Basil and parsley added to creamy pasta.

Step 8: Serve

Serve warm, topped with more shredded parmesan.

If you reserved the chicken to serve later, then serve topped with sliced chicken like below.

Creamy pasta topped with sliced boneless chicken thighs.

Love chicken thighs? Also, check out my wonderful Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs.

Expert Tips for One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

This recipe does work well with any type of cream — including light cream. It just has an impact on the thickness of the sauce.
Ensure that the oil is hot before placing the chicken in it. This step helps in the caramelization and retention of juices as well as the formation of a flavorful crust. Please do not move the chicken too much so that when it cooks, you will have a good sear on it.
Freshly grated parmesan should be used so that it dissolves well into the sauce and does not clump together. You can use store-bought, though it comes in large grains. Therefore, some of them may not blend properly with the sauce.
Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before adding it to the dish. This will ensure it blends evenly, preventing clumps and resulting in a smooth sauce.
It’s important to let the pasta stand for about 5 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken slightly and the herbs and spices to blend, enhancing the flavor of the dish.