One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken
Garlic? Love. Parmesan? Love. Chicken? Love. Pasta? LOVE. This one-pan garlic parmesan chicken pasta uses just 7 simple ingredients to create a totally delicious and comforting dinner that you can get on the table quickly. And since everything cooks in one skillet, you've got very few dishes to wash! You're welcome!
Ingredients
- 1 pounds chicken breast
- 8 oz gemelli pasta* (boxed pasta, not fancy/gourmet pastas)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (plus more for seasoning the chicken)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (plus more for seasoning the chicken)
- 1.75 oz finely grated parmesan cheese (pre-grated is fine, just not the powdered stuff)
- ⅛ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry on a cutting board. Holding your knife so the blade is horizontal and parallel to the cutting board, butterfly the chicken breast into two pieces about half an inch thick. Season the top side of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Preheat high sided skillet over medium. Add cooking oil. When the oil ripples and coats the bottom of the pan, place the chicken seasoned side down in the pan. Season the top side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the chicken about 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through (at least 160°F** on an instant read thermometer). Then remove to a plate or clean cutting board to rest.
- Without cleaning out the pan, reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining cooking oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, about 30-60 seconds until browned and slightly softened. NOTE: It will start to stick to the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. That's a good thing! Just don't let it burn.
- Add a splash of water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and use a wooden spoon or spatula with a sturdy edge to scrape the browned bits on the bottom as the liquid begins to boil.
- Add the dried pasta, salt, and pepper to the pan and give them a quick stir. Then add just enough water to almost cover the pasta. It's okay if some of the noodles are sticking out above the water.
- When the water begins to boil, set a timer for the "al dente" time given on the pasta box. Keep the heat at high the whole time, stirring constantly as the water boils and the pasta cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- When there is about a minute left, and very little water remains in the pan, reduce the heat to low, add the parmesan cheese all at once and stir to melt the cheese into a creamy sauce. Remove from heat.
- Slice the chicken and add it back to the pan, along with half the chopped parsley. Stir to combine. Serve immediately, topped with the remaining chopped parsley and additional grated parmesan cheese.
If you prefer not to mess with slicing the chicken breast in half, you can pound the chicken breast to about half an inch thick with a meat tenderizing mallet instead.
Different pasta varieties absorb water at different rates, and water will evaporate differently based on the size of your skillet. If the water seems to be boiling away too quickly, it's okay to add a bit more (about ⅛-¼ cup at a time).
TIP: Do a bite test to confirm the pasta is fully cooked before you add the cheese. Bite a noodle in half; if you can see a ring of uncooked pasta in the center, it needs a little more time to cook. Add a splash of water and keep stirring until the pasta is cooked through. Repeat as needed.
You do want to have a little bit of water left in the pan when there's a minute left on your timer. Not so much that the pasta is swimming, but enough to be able to say "yeah, there's still some liquid in here." If there's too much water left in the pan, crank the heat as high as it can go (if it's not there already) and stir really well — the more you stir, the faster the water will evaporate. If you truly have way too much water left, use a spoon, ladle, or turkey baster to remove some water from the pan.
RECIPE NOTES
- *Unfortunately this cooking method does not work with fresh or gourmet pasta. Fresh pasta cooks too quickly and is so starchy that it will break down in the water, turning into a paste. Even dried fancy pastas tend to be a little too starchy to work really well here. It doesn't mean you can't use those pastas; they just don't always hold up as well to the rigorous boiling and stirring as cheaper boxed pastas do.
- **The internal temperature for doneness on chicken breast is 165°F, but the chicken will continue cooking as it rests. You can safely pull it off the heat early. But if you're particular about cooking chicken until it's done, let it go until it hits 165°F and then remove it from the pan to rest.
- Store any leftover garlic parmesan chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To reheat, microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until warmed throughout.
- 8 ounces of pasta and 1 pound chicken breast is enough for two very hungry people OR two moderately hungry people plus a small child (or to save as leftovers) OR or three moderately hungry people who are eating this with side dishes. If serving four or more, I recommend adding 4-6 ounces of pasta and ⅓ lb chicken per person.
- Vegetarian - Skip the chicken! You'll miss out on the flavor from the fond, but you could make up for it by sautéing some thinly sliced or chopped onions or leeks with the garlic before you add the pasta.
- Spicy - Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the pan when you add the pasta. For more heat, add more red pepper flakes.