The Best One Pot Margherita Chicken Pasta
This one pot margherita chicken pasta is simple and comforting, and bursting with robust Italian flavor. This recipe features juicy bites of chicken in a silky tomato cream-sauce made with fresh off the vine cherry tomatoes, a little white wine, aromatic italian seasonings and creamy burrata cheese. This recipe tops any restaurant margherita pasta dish that I have tried!
What is margherita chicken pasta?
A delicious spin on the classic margherita pizza, but pasta instead! Margherita pizza is known as the classic italian pizza with fresh red tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. This pasta dish is just as comforting and delicious as the classic italian pizza but it’s unique in its own way.
As the saying goes, the magic is in the sauce, the fresh tomatoes make a huge difference compared to canned tomatoes, giving this dish incredible flavor.
What makes it “Margherita”
Classic margherita uses all fresh ingredients, so fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is different from low-moisture mozzarella, which has been soured for a longer period of time drying it out and making it more salty. Your traditional pizza is typically made with low-moisture mozzarella. As it relates to this pasta dish, what makes this recipe different from a let’s say a classic baked ziti, are the fresh ingredients.
What makes one pot pasta recipes so delicious?
This revolutionary way of cooking the pasta with all the other ingredients has become incredibly popular for good reason. Not only does it reduce clean up time and streamline the cooking process altogether, the starches released from the pasta as it cooks, break down and add a heavenly, silky richness to the sauce that you wouldn’t otherwise get when tossing out the pasta water when you boil it separately.
Ingredients to make margherita chicken pasta
PASTA – You want to use shelf stable dry pasta here, as the cook time is longer, allowing the dried pasta to release more starches into the sauce. I like using penne, but you can also use rigatoni.
CHICKEN – We only need to chicken breasts for this recipe, as we are cutting the breasts up into bite size chunks.
ONION & GARLIC – Crucial ingredients to add flavor to the sauce, and we don’t use these lightly. One whole diced onion and eight cloves of garlic makes the flavor rich and delicious. I’m drooling. Also, if you’ve been around here before, you know how I feel about using jarred minced garlic… always use fresh cloves and mince yourself!
CHERRY TOMATOES – These bright red babies add a light and fresh flavor that you just don’t get from canned tomatoes. They slowly breakdown as they cook giving the sauce sublime flavor. I purchase these in packs still on the vine, they are typically sold in 8 ounce packages at my local grocery store.
TOMATO PASTE – This adds a little depth to the flavor of the sauce.
WHITE WINE – Another ingredient to add depth and complexity to the flavor of the sauce. You don’t want an overly sweet white wine, it should be very dry, I recommend a chardonnay variety.
CHICKEN BROTH – This is our liquid to cook the pasta in, imagine the flavor we are getting by using chicken broth instead of water! Yes, yes, yes.
HEAVY CREAM – Tones down the acidity of the fresh tomatoes and adds a light creaminess to the sauce.
PARMESAN CHEESE – Used as a thickening agent in the sauce and adds divine nutty and salty notes to the flavor. I recommend grating your own fresh parmesan in order to achieve the desired texture and flavor.
BURRATA CHEESE – Ahhhh, need I explain!? Burrata cheese is simply DIVINE. Think fresh mozzarella cheese, but rolled into a ball with the most buttery, creamy, smooth mozzarella filling in the center of said ball. Where many recipes may call for shredding fresh mozzarella, we’re just breaking open a burrata mozzarella ball on top of the pasta. This add texture and an unmatched creaminess to the dish. Burrata cheese is found over in the fresh cheese isle, I like the brand Belgioioso.
FRESH BASIL – Fresh basil is what really makes this “Margherita” in addition to the fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. You
Step-by-step how to make margherita chicken pasta
BROWN the chicken strips first, to sear in the juices and flavor of the chicken. We are not trying to cook it through in this step. Set the chicken aside.
SAUTE the onions and garlic and translucent and fragrant. Add the oregano and allow the aroma to release. Add the tomato sauce and cook until its a smooth consistency. Add the wine and let it cook down for 1 minute.
TOSS IN the fresh tomatoes and stir for just one minute before pouring in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Add in the pasta and chicken.
SIMMER for 14-15 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes to keep the pasta from getting sticky. This also helps the release the starches into the sauce.
STIR in the parmesan cheese until melted. Tear the burrata cheese over the pasta and cover it with a lid to let it melt for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and serve!
Popular recipe additions & substitutions
BALSAMIC GLAZE is a popular ingredient that goes well with Margherita, think caprese salad! Take a balsamic reduction and drizzle it on top of each serving for a little zip of sweet flavor.
FRESH MOZZARELLA slices can be used in place of burrata cheese here. But you want to make sure to still use one that says “Fresh Mozzarella”.
MAKE IT VEGETARIAN by simply skipping the chicken!
ROMA TOMATOES can be used in place of cherry tomatoes, be sure to diced them up. You can also try using halved grape tomatoes.
WINE can be omitted by replacing it with chicken broth.
Tips
- Be sure to continuously stir the pasta as it cooks. These keeps the pasta from getting gummy and ensures that it cooks evenly as there isn’t a lot of liquid. This also helps the tomatoes break down into the sauce.
- If you want the tomatoes to be a little more “whole” and to not break down into the sauce completely, halve them instead of quartering them, and add them into the pot at the same time that you add the pasta.
More One-Pot Recipes
Love the idea of minimal cleanup? Check out this other delicious one-pot recipes!
The Best One Pot Margherita Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot (dutch oven) and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken strips and cook until lightly browned all over, 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken to separate plate to rest, set aside.
- Add the butter to the pot and sauté the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add in the oregano and chili flakes, sauté 1 more minute.
- Add in the tomato paste and stir while cooking for 1-2 minutes until it evenly coats the onion and garlic. Add the white wine and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and dry pasta. Return the chicken to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Once simmering, turn the mixture down low and let simmer for 14-15 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through, stirring every 2 minutes. This keeps the pasta from sticking together and getting gummy-like.
- Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Remove the the burrata balls from the water and set on a small plate. One at a time, using your hands, tear the buratta into pieces over the top of the pasta. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let sit for 5 minutes until it gets melty.
- Remove the lid and sprinkle the fresh basil on top. You can either stir the burrata to mix it in, or serve as is with it melted on just the top.
Notes
- Be sure to continuously stir the pasta as it cooks. These keeps the pasta from getting gummy and ensures that it cooks evenly as there isn’t a lot of liquid. This also helps the tomatoes break down into the sauce.
- If you want the tomatoes to be a little more “whole” and to not break down into the sauce completely, halve them instead of quartering them, and add them into the pot at the same time that you add the pasta.
This recipe was very good, definitely a keeper.
Made this for dinner tonight – WOW! So delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream on hand, so I subbed half and half and it was still amazing!