Who’s in the mood for comfort food? This recipe for one-pot rotini pasta is filled with chicken in a quick creamy tomato sauce!
It is rich, hearty, and all cooked in just one pot, perfect for when time is short for cooking and clean up!
One-Pot Rotini
Busy days and nights call for quick and easy meals and this one fits the bill.
- Versatile – any leftover meat (chicken is a favorite), any medium pasta
- Uses ingredients I usually have on hand
- Takes about 30 minutes start to finish.
- Only ONE pot is needed, just like this easy ravioli!
Ingredients
PASTA Of course we use rotini in this recipe but any medium pasta such as shells or penne will work too. Tri-color rotini makes for a colorful meal.
MEAT We used cooked chicken, but ground chicken, turkey, or sausage will also work well. This is a great recipe for leftover chicken too!
SAUCE The sauce in this dish is full of flavor with both tomatoes and cream, and lots of herbs and spices!
How to Make Rotini Pasta
This easy rotini pasta will be the recipe that’s asked for again and again—it’s that good!
- In an oven-proof skillet, cook garlic in oil until fragrant.
- Stir in pasta, tomatoes (with juices), water, & tomato paste. Simmer until pasta is extra al dente.
- Remove from heat & stir in cooked chicken, seasonings, & cream. Simmer until heated through and thickened.
- Broil until cheese is melted on the top.
Tips for Perfect Pasta
- For perfect pasta, avoid overcooking. Stir it in the pot thoroughly so all the pieces are well coated.
- Pasta will continue to cook as it rests.
- Place the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to get the cheese really gooey and browned on top. Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.
More Sauces for Rotini
- Ground Turkey Pasta Sauce
- Homemade Bolognese Sauce (Pappardelle)
- Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
- Easy Marinara Sauce
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Did you enjoy this One-Pot Rotini Pasta? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
One Pot Rotini Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces rotini pasta or medium pasta
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes optional
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 ½ - 3 cups water or broth, more if needed
- 2 cups chicken chopped & cooked (leftover or rotisserie chicken work well)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 ounce fresh parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 ⅓ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in uncooked pasta, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning, chili flakes if using, and 2 ½ cups water. Let simmer uncovered until pasta is cooked adding more water if needed, about 11-13 minutes. (You want enough liquid to create a sauce).
- Stir in chicken and heavy cream. Let simmer an additional 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and chicken is heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in parsley & parmesan cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese and broil until bubbly and lightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I just tried this pasta and it’s really delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Can this recipe be doubled?
Sure it can! Cooking time may increase slightly.
As i am a vegetarian we don’t eat chicken. but i would love to try your recipe. could you suggest what i can use instead of the chicken?
You could leave the chicken out or add a hearty vegetable such as mushrooms or zucchini.
This was great. Thank you!
This was SO good! I followed the recipe except added 4 stalks chopped asparagus and some chopped kale for some veggies, and 1 cube chicken stock. Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Those sound like delicious additions! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is really great!!! Eating it as I type this. I had some onion I needed to use up so I started with that and then added the garlic. I also used a little chicken bouillon in the water. It cooked up on time. Thanks so much for a wonderful weeknight dinner!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I really wanted to try this recipe, as I was looking for a one pot simple supper, so adapted it slightly to use what I had available. I used a carton of passata (UK) instead of the tomatoes and creme fraiche instead of the heavy cream. I only had fresh chicken breasts, so chopped up a couple, seasoned them, then browned them off right at the start before adding the garlic and continuing with the rest of the recipe. Every plate was cleared and this will certainly be on the menu again in the very near future.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
This was super delicious and we all loved it! I’m sure the leftovers will be even better. I used small shell pasta because I was out of rotini and it worked great!
I’m so glad you loved it Stacy!