One-Pan Pizza Pasta (Printable Version)

A quick Italian-American dish with chicken, pepperoni, mozzarella, and rotini cooked all in one pan.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (approximately 8.8 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 30 slices pepperoni, sliced or quartered

→ Pasta

03 - 10.6 oz uncooked rotini pasta

→ Cheese

04 - 7 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1.4 oz grated Parmesan cheese

→ Sauce

06 - 2 cups marinara or pizza sauce

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced (optional)
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
12 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Liquids

14 - 1 ⅔ cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned but not fully cooked.
02 - Add chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced red bell pepper (if using) to the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
03 - Stir in the pepperoni slices and cook for 1 minute to release flavors.
04 - Add uncooked rotini, marinara sauce, chicken broth, dried Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine, ensuring pasta is mostly submerged.
05 - Bring mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and liquid is mostly absorbed.
06 - Stir in half of the mozzarella and all Parmesan cheese, then top the surface with remaining mozzarella.
07 - Cover and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from heat and let rest for 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra herbs if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, so you skip the boiling pot and the mountain of dishes that usually follows pasta night.
  • It tastes like pizza and pasta had a baby, with all the gooey cheese and spicy pepperoni you crave without turning on the oven.
  • You can have dinner on the table in half an hour, even if you forgot to thaw anything or plan ahead.
02 -
  • Stir the pasta at least once while it simmers or the bottom pieces will stick and scorch, and you'll end up scrubbing the pan for twenty minutes.
  • If the liquid evaporates too fast and the pasta isn't done, add a splash more broth or water and keep going, because undercooked pasta will ruin the whole thing.
  • Let the dish rest for a minute or two after you pull it off the heat, the sauce will thicken as it cools and everything will hold together instead of being soupy.
03 -
  • Use a deep skillet with a lid, because a shallow pan will cause the liquid to evaporate too fast and you'll end up with crunchy pasta and a mess.
  • Shred your own mozzarella instead of buying the pre-shredded bag, it melts smoother and doesn't have that weird anti-caking powder.
  • Taste the sauce before you add extra salt, because the pepperoni, Parmesan, and broth already bring a lot of seasoning to the table.
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