This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.

Easy Chicken Penne Pasta is a one-pot dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes. It’s cheesy, full of flavor, packed with chicken, and picky-eater approved: exactly the kind of simple skillet meal I need on busy weeknights.

pasta mixed with herbs and sauce in a black pan

Simple Chicken Pasta with Few Ingredients

Coming up with dinner ideas is always harder for me than planning dessert, so I rely on recipes made with easy-to-find ingredients and as few dishes as possible. This chicken pasta is a variation of my Cheesy Penne Casserole, a recipe I’ve made for countless potlucks, but adding pantry staples like rotisserie or canned chicken turns it into a filling weeknight meal the whole family can enjoy.

pasta mixed with herbs and sauce in a black pan

How to make Chicken Penne Pasta

  • Use any kind of pasta you like. I often like to use whole wheat pasta or a pasta substitute, like Banza Pasta.
  • Penne pasta cooks fast and is perfect with red sauce because all the little grooves and the hollow center grabs up all the deliciousness.
  • I love red sauce with penne pasta and like my baked penne, this one pot meal has lots of cheese. It’s full of mozzarella cheese, of course, but has a secret ingredient that packs even more protein: cottage cheese. It sounds weird but it works: trust me. The kids WILL eat it.
  • This recipe is done in under 30 minutes because I started with already shredded chicken. You can use rotisserie chicken or use leftovers! I love making a big batch of my Instant Pot Chicken or Instant pot shredded chicken and using it all week in meals like this or my Enchilada Skillet.
  • This is one of my favorite canned chicken recipes because it’s simple to use that and no one will know. Canned chicken is often cheaper (and shelf stable).
unclose photo of pasta mixed with herbs and sauce

SAVE THIS RECIPE

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Dorothy’s Penne Pasta Recipe Testing Notes

  • Use my crockpot tomato sauce or use your favorite jarred. I always jazz up my jarred sauce with extra garlic and red pepper flakes too.
  • You can make the entire recipe for this penne pasta in one large skillet by working in batches and it’s still done in under 30 minutes. First, boil the pasta in the skillet and while it drains you heat up the sauce. Stir it all together and dinner is done!
4.97 from 80 votes

Easy Chicken Penne Pasta

By: Dorothy Kern
Easy Chicken Penne Pasta is a one pot meal that’s done in under 30 minutes! This easy skillet recipe is picky eater approved!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
pasta mixed with herbs and sauce in a black pan
Save Pin Print Remove Ads

Video

Save this recipe!
Get this recipe emailed to you – plus get all recipes sent straight to your email!

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.

Notes

Use homemade pasta sauce or a jar.
  • I am loving Banza Pasta, which is a chickpea pasta and low-carb. It’s in an orange box and tastes like regular pasta!
  • Use my meal prep chicken or instant pot chicken or shredded chicken, or you can use a rotisserie chicken.
  • To start with raw chicken: Cook pasta as directed in step 1. Then add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cook until brown on all sides and almost cooked through, 8-10 minutes (depending on size of pieces). Add the sauce to the pan with the garlic and cook until chicken is fully cooked through. Stir in cottage cheese, pasta, and mozzarella.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 8.6mg | Calcium: 257mg | Iron: 2.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Crazy for Crust. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization is strictly prohibited.

Did you try this recipe? Click here to rate the recipe below.

FAQs

What sauce goes best with penne pasta or chicken pasta?

I love using red sauce with this recipe because it satisfies most picky eaters. However, alfredo or pesto would be fantastic too.

Can you use canned chicken in penne pasta?

You absolutely can use canned chicken in this easy skillet dinner.

Favorite Chicken Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

Learn More About Me
4.97 from 80 votes (70 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




33 Comments

  2. Was going to make spaghetti because I had 1/4 cup fresh chopped onion I wanted to use up, but saw this recipe and had all the ingredients, so made exactly as shown, with the onion in it! Easy. Husband loved it and it made plenty. I was generous with the fresh garlic as well. Will be making again.

    Reply