Skillet Chicken Penne Pasta: A Real One-Pan Recipe

This is the dinner I make when I genuinely cannot deal with washing more than one pan. No shame in that at all. Chicken, penne, a light garlic tomato sauce, all done in the same skillet, start to finish, in about half an hour. I have made this probably two hundred times at this point and it still does not feel boring, which honestly says something.

What You will Need

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

• 8 ounces penne pasta, whole wheat if you want the fiber bump

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, split

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• A handful of fresh spinach, optional but genuinely worth it

• Grated parmesan, for serving

That's it. Nothing exotic, nothing you have to hunt down at a specialty store.

How to Actually Make It

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan in a single layer. Do not crowd them, work in two batches if your skillet's on the smaller side, since overcrowded chicken steams instead of browning and browning is where the flavor actually comes from.

Cook the chicken for about five to six minutes, flipping once, until it's golden on the outside and just cooked through. Pull it out and set it aside on a plate. It'll finish cooking a little more later, so slightly underdone right now is fine.

Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet, no need to wipe it out, those browned bits stuck to the pan are flavor, not mess. Toss in the garlic and let it cook for about thirty seconds, just until it smells like something you want to eat, not burnt.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, then stir in the Italian seasoning. Bring it up to a simmer, then add the dry penne directly into the liquid. Yes, uncooked, straight into the pan. This is genuinely the part that makes this a one-pan meal instead of a one pan plus a pot of boiling water meal.

Cover the skillet and let it simmer for about twelve to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta does not stick to the bottom. Check the liquid level as you go. If it's drying out before the pasta's tender, splash in a little extra broth or water.

Once the penne's cooked through, stir the chicken back into the skillet along with the spinach if you are using it. Let everything sit together on low heat for another two or three minutes, just enough for the spinach to wilt and the chicken to finish warming through completely.

Taste it. Adjust salt. It will probably need more than you think, tomatoes and broth both need a decent amount of seasoning to actually taste like something.

A Few Things I have Learned Making This Too Many Times

Do not skip resting the chicken off heat while the pasta cooks. Throwing it back in rawish and letting it finish alongside the pasta keeps it from turning into little rubber cubes, which happened to me more times than I'll admit before figuring this out.

Whole wheat penne drinks up liquid a little faster than regular pasta, so keep an eye on it and add more broth toward the end if needed. This recipe scales up fine for more people, just do not double it in a small skillet, since overcrowded pasta simmering in a shallow pan steams instead of cooking evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use a different pasta shape?

Yes, rotini, ziti or shells all work fine. Just watch the cook time, since shapes with thicker walls may need a couple extra minutes and slightly more liquid to cook through properly in the skillet.

2. Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, it reheats well for two to three days in the fridge. Add a splash of broth when reheating, since the pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it sits and looks drier than you remember.

Conclusion

Skillet chicken penne pasta earns its spot in regular rotation mostly because it just works, every single time, without demanding much from you beyond one pan and thirty minutes. It's part of a bigger list of healthy pasta recipe ideas worth exploring if this one becomes a regular for you too, but honestly, this recipe alone could carry a whole week of dinners without anyone complaining.