Life can get a little chaotic sometimes, but that’s no reason to cheat yourself out of delicious dinners like this fast and flavorful Chicken Penne Pasta. With this recipe, you can make a gourmet meal in practically no time so you can have a tasty meal even on your busiest day!
No matter how crazy life gets, everyone has to eat and this deliciously filling pasta has everything you need from a dinner but without all the fuss! It’s an amazingly easy-to-follow recipe that uses common ingredients so cooks of all skill levels can make a dish that is sure to impress. Don’t slow down and don’t stress over dinner, just make this divine Chicken Penne Pasta!
Jump to:
What You’ll Love About Chicken Penne Pasta
Wonderful Weeknight Meal!
Everyone has a lot going on and even when we want to provide home-cooked meals for our family sometimes time is just not on our side. With this deliciously simple recipe, you don’t have to stress over time spent cooking. You can whip up this pasta in under half an hour and satisfy the whole family!
Kid and Parent Approved!
It can be hard finding dishes that the entire family agrees on, but this is one of them! Its saucy and cheesy flavors will win over the little ones and adults will love how quickly and easily they can make this tasty meal.
If you struggle with a picky eater, this is the perfect way to win them over. It has all of the kid's favorite things, from pasta to tasty tomato sauce. Turn your little one’s “icks” into “yays” with this amazingly easy Chicken Penne Pasta.
Pretty in Pink!
This recipe works like magic to transform unexpected ingredients into a sauce worthy of your favorite Italian restaurant. This saucy delight has the bright pinkish orange of a vodka or pink sauce, but it uses the easiest and most accessible ingredients to craft that irresistibly pink flavor!
The bright color of this dish is backed up by the most creamy tomato sauce you’ve ever tried. It's at-home elegance at its finest, but uses only common ingredients so anyone can enjoy this luscious pasta dish!
Ingredients
Penne Pasta
Penne is just the right shape for this saucy pasta dish. It holds the creamy sauce in its cavities for you to get extra bites of rich sauce flavor.
You can swap this pasta for another shape, really any style of pasta will work for this recipe and if you are especially ambitious you can turn this one-pot wonder into a gourmet meal by making your own pasta from scratch!
Pasta Sauce
This wonderfully convenient recipe relies on grocery store staples, like jarred pasta sauce to keep it simple. Choose your favorite jar of pasta sauce, hearty marinara, or smooth garlic tomato sauces that work well in this dish.
If you love cooking everything from scratch, you can make this delicious pasta with homemade pasta sauce. This is a great way to control the flavors and nutrition in your meal!
Garlic
Garlic is such a sensational ingredient. It adds a delectable savory flavor and aroma to any dish it’s used in. For this dish use fresh gloves and press them with a garlic press or grate them with a microplane. If you cannot find fresh, swap this ingredient for jarred or frozen cloves.
Red Pepper Flakes
Red pepper flakes add a wonderful punch of warm flavor. If you don’t love spice, just leave this ingredient out.
Cottage Cheese
Small curd cottage cheese makes a beautifully salty and creamy base for this decadent pasta sauce.
To make this recipe nice and light, swap regular cottage cheese for low-fat.
Cooked Chicken
Diced or shredded cooked chicken adds some protein to this dish to make it rich and filling. Use leftover grilled or baked chicken. You can even opt to grab a grocery store rotisserie chicken and shred that meat for this recipe.
Try to avoid using breaded or fried chicken. All the creamy sauce in this dish will make the breading soft and undesirable. If all you have is breaded chicken, try peeling the breading off before mixing it into this dish.
A great option for vegetarians who want to try this recipe is tofu. Use your favorite extra firm tofu and precook it with some Italian herbs and seasonings. Since tofu is softer than chicken, mix the sauce without it and then add it to the top of each individual serving.
Mozzarella Cheese
Shredded mozzarella adds a deliciously gooey and cheesy consistency to the pasta. Since mozzarella is so soft, just buy the pre-shredded variety, not the fresh mozzarella.
Smoked mozzarella or gouda are both great swaps for classic mozzarella in this dish.
Equipment
Large Pot and Pasta Strainer
This is a pasta dish so naturally, you will need a pot to boil the pasta in. Grab an extra large pot and fill it with salted water for this recipe. Use a pasta strainer to drain the pasta.
Large Skillet or Pot
To mix up the sauce in this recipe you will need a large skillet or pot. If you want to make this dish a one-pot meal then cook the pasta and set it aside so you can reuse the same pot to mix the sauce.
How to Make Chicken Penne Pasta
- In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet or large pot, add the pasta sauce, pressed garlic, pepper flakes, and cottage cheese and heat over medium heat until it bubbles.
- Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is heated through. Stir in the pasta and mozzarella cheese.
- Taste and add seasonings like salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes, as needed.
Expert Tips
- Before you drain the pasta, scoop out a cup or two of the pasta water. Save this to add to the sauce if it looks too thick.
- If you hate dishes, boil the pasta first and then reuse the same pot to mix the sauce.
- Be sure to choose a skillet or pot that will fit all the sauce and pasta with room to stir.
- Add the shredded cheese little by little until you have just the right amount of cheesiness.
- Be sure to taste and season the dish before serving!
How to Serve Chicken Penne Pasta
This pretty pasta is the perfect saucy main dish, but delicious side dishes make it shine even brighter!
Top the pasta with freshly grated parmesan and then pair the warm pasta with a fresh green salad or crisp green beans to give the meal some balance. A pop of green helps to balance the color and richness of the Chicken Penne Pasta.
Don’t forget the garlic bread and finish the table with a smooth red wine.
Delicious Variations
Spinach Sensation
The more colorful a dish the better it tastes, so adding some spinach to this pasta turns it into a rainbow of flavors! Try stirring some raw spinach into the sauce or wilt some spinach first and then stir it into the finished dish.
Merry Mushroom
Mushrooms have an unbeatable umami flavor. To add them to this pasta try oven roasting or pan frying so button or cremini mushrooms and then stirring them into the completed pasta.
Vibrant and Vegan
When you see a dish this saucy and cheesy you might not think of plant-based eating, but this recipe is super easy to modify for a vegan. Simply swap the chicken for cooked mushrooms and substitute the cheeses for vegan cream cheese (you can also use vegan cottage cheese but it is much harder to find in stores) and vegan mozzarella.
Crazy Creamy
If you love extra creamy and decadent sauce, then try swapping the cottage cheese in this recipe for cream cheese. Prepare otherwise as directed and enjoy!
Hidden Veggies
If you have a particularly picky eater sometimes you have to go to great lengths to hide the veggies. This is a great recipe to sneak some nutritious and delicious veggies into. Stir a cup of cooked carrot or bell peppers into the finished pasta to add some bright color and flavor. Your little ones will gobble up their veggies without even realizing it!
How to Store Chicken Penne Pasta
This delicious Chicken Penne Pasta stores so easily! To save the leftovers, first, allow the pasta to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to Reheat Chicken Penne Pasta
To reheat the pasta quickly, scoop the desired amount into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot throughout.
If you have a bit more time try the preferred method of reheating, on the stove top. Place a small pot over low heat and add the pasta. Heat, stirring occasionally until it is warm throughout.
Can I Substitute Gluten-Free Pasta?
Yes! This recipe is awesomely customizable! The most beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can make small adjustments to make the flavor totally your own.
Swap the penne pasta for gluten-free, whole-wheat, or even legume pasta if desired. Put your spin on this recipe and it is sure to become a weeknight favorite!
Is Chicken Penne Pasta Healthy?
This pasta is an absolute flavor knockout! It hits every note you want, but can something so delicious be good for you? With this saucy Chicken Penne Pasta, it’s kind of a draw.
This dreamy and creamy pasta is packed with sumptuous flavors, but it is not low-cal! All the cottage cheese and mozzarella add up to a tasty dish that is rich in carbs, sodium, and calories.
These are some good aspects of the dish, like the protein in the chicken and the vitamins from the pasta sauce. This dish doesn’t look veggie-heavy, but it packs plenty of tomato-based nutrition!
Overall this pasta is great for a cheat day, but it's more of a decadent indulgence than an every night meal.
PrintEasy Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Easy Chicken Penne Pasta! This one pot wonder can be ready in under 30 minutes - perfect for busy evenings when time is of the essence. It's also great for even the pickiest eaters, so everyone at the table can enjoy a tasty meal together.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 24 ounce jar pasta sauce, use your favorite
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Boil water in pot or large skillet and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Add pasta sauce, pressed garlic, pepper flakes and cottage cheese to skillet and heat until bubbly and hot. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is heated through. Stir in the pasta and mozzarella cheese. Taste for seasoning, add salt and/or pepper as needed.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese.
Keywords: chicken penne pasta
Leave a Reply