This one pot pasta with chicken, spinach & mushroom is ready in 30 minutes & makes a great weeknight meal. Add any veg you like to make it even healthier!
This recipe was originally published in February 2016 but I've since updated the photos. All the text below was written in the original post, just now with better photos! I hope you love this one pot pasta as much as I do ☺
We make pasta for dinner at least once a week. It's easy, it's versatile and it's perfect comfort food. One pot pastas are some of my favourites because they also cut down on clean up which is super. This cheesy roasted red pepper one pot pasta is a great vegetarian option or even try making this pressure cooker version!
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Last week I finally got round to trying out a one pot/one pan pasta and guess what, I'm in love! So easy, so tasty and so quick. I think the original concept is credited to Martha Stewart and since then so many different versions have been created.
I love that this one was perfect for using up the left over veg we had in the fridge and you could definitely add anything else you had on hand.
Related: Try this five ingredient garlic mushroom pasta if you're looking for a veggie option
How do you cook pasta and sauce together?
For the sauce in this one pot pasta I used a combination of tinned tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock and milk. It might sound like a bit of an odd combination but I found it was the best way to get a creamy and tasty sauce. The pasta and all the other ingredients are cooked right in the liquid and the starch from the pasta thickens the liquid so that it turns into a sauce.
I looked up quite a few recipes before trying this out because I knew I wanted to include the chicken thighs we had and I wanted to see how other people had done it.
A lot of people had cooked the chicken first and then taken it out while they cooked the rest of meal. I really wasn't keen for that, my priority was being able to cook everything in the pot without having to remove and add things again. Basically just minimal faffing.
This recipe does exactly that - you cook the chicken for a short while to make sure it's all sealed and then it finishes cooking while you gradually add all the rest of the ingredients.
Which pasta is best for one pot pasta?
Honestly I think this recipe will work with pretty much any pasta. I went with fusilli but you could use any cut, a longer one like spaghetti would work just as well. Just keep a close eye on the pot to make sure the pasta is cooked to your liking.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS SUPER EASY ONE POT PASTA WITH CHICKEN, SPINACH & MUSHROOM:
- Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Dried Oregano
- Smoked Paprika
- Chilli Flakes
- Chicken Thighs
- Button Mushrooms
- Baby Leaf Spinach
- Pasta
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Chicken Stock/Chicken Broth
- Milk
- Worcestershire Sauce
Keep scrolling to get the full recipe for this one pot pasta with chicken, spinach & mushroom...
Once everything's been cooking for a while the starch from the pasta helps to thicken the stock and tomatoes and makes everything taste amazing.
I wish I had more time to make my own stock from scratch but unfortunately I have to resort to the ready made stuff.
This pasta is also pretty healthy thanks to the spinach and mushrooms and I love that basically any veg would work so chuck in whatever you like best.
Pan or pot?
You can use pretty much anything to make this one pot pasta as long as it's big enough to hold all of your ingredients. I like to use my large pot or dutch oven but if you have a wide skillet that could also work.
Expert tips for making this one pot pasta recipe:
- Start off by frying the onion, garlic and chicken in the pot you're going to cook the pasta in. Sealing the chicken first helps to keep all the flavour in there.
- Add the mushrooms and all the liquid along with the pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked. If the sauce is still a bit liquidy leave it to stand for a couple of minutes and the starch from the pasta will help to thicken it.
Can you freeze one pot pasta?
If there are any leftovers then you can definitely freeze this pasta. Simply portion into sealed containers and store in the freezer. When you're ready to eat defrost thoroughly and then reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes until heated through.
Want more? Try these other one pot recipes or get all my other pasta recipes!
- Indian One Pot Chicken and Rice
- One Pot Gnocchi Bake with Tomato & Mozzarella
- One Pot Beef Stew
- One Pot Cheese & Tomato Pasta Bake
- One Pot Sweet Potato Curry
- One Pot Lasagne
- Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta
WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS YOU’VE GOT FROM MAKING THIS ONE POT PASTA WITH CHICKEN, SPINACH & MUSHROOM?
If you’re anything like me then you’re always looking for ways to save money and avoid food waste so I want to make sure you’ve get plenty of ideas on how to use up any ingredients that are leftover from my recipes!
Courgette & Prosciutto One Pot Pasta
Quick & Easy Honey Chipotle Chicken
How to make one pot pasta:
Recipe
One Pot Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- 4 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Thighs sliced
- 200 g Button Mushrooms sliced
- 150 g Baby Leaf Spinach
- 400 g Pasta
- 1 400g tin Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 litre Chicken Stock
- 120 ml Milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil over a medium heat. Cook the onion for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic, spices and chicken and cook until the chicken is almost cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, cook for a few more minutes. Add the pasta, tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce and milk plus a big sprinkling of salt and pepper. Bring everything to the boil and then simmer for about 10-15 minutes. I found that the pasta took a little longer to cook than normal so you might need about 15 minutes.
- A few minutes before the end of cooking add the spinach and let wilt into the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked serve topped with a sprinkling of parmesan if you like.
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Deni says
This is delicious! I've cooked it twice and both times my family loved it. Very easy to make and full of flavour, thank you for the recipe!
Amy says
Thank you so much Deni! I'm so glad you like the recipe 🙂
Ginny says
One pot is the way to go. I love how you've added smoked paprika an spinach always makes a meal.
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
Yum! Totally adding this to my list of weeknight menu options.
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
I've been loving one pot meals lately! The less dishes the better!
Hope says
This looks perfect for a busy weeknight - great comfort food! All made in one dish - even better 🙂
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
Such a tasty way to use up those chicken thighs Amy. Penne is one of my favorite pastas. It brings back memories of my first date with the hubby.