One-Pan Creamy Chicken Pasta

This is the kind of dinner a good pan is built for. Chicken, garlic, and cream come together in a single stainless steel pan, the pasta cooks right in the sauce so there is nothing to drain, and a handful of cheese goes on top before the whole thing bakes until golden. Clip the handle off, slide the pan into the oven, clip it back on, and carry it to the table. One pan from stove to oven to table.

It takes about 30 minutes and serves two. Here is everything you need.

Why this works in one pan

Most creamy pasta recipes ask you to boil pasta in one pot, build a sauce in another, then combine. This one skips all of that. Dry pasta goes straight into the simmering broth and cooks in it, releasing starch that thickens the sauce as it goes. By the time the pasta is tender, the sauce is already creamy. No colander, no second pot, no starchy water poured down the drain.

The finish in the oven is what makes it special. Because a PHILIATRIP pan is uncoated tri-ply stainless steel with a detachable handle, the bare pan body is oven-safe. You take the handle off, bake the pasta under the cheese until it is bubbling and golden, then clip the handle back on to carry it straight to the table as the serving dish.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• Chicken breast or thigh, 200g, cut into bite-size chunks
• Butter, 30g
• Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
• Onion, ½, diced
• Chicken broth, 350ml
• Heavy cream, 120ml
• Straight pasta (linguine or spaghetti), 180g
• Shredded cheese, a handful (mozzarella for stretch, parmesan for a salty edge)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Soften the aromatics. Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until soft and fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Sear the chicken. Add the chicken chunks and cook until lightly colored on the outside. It does not need to be cooked through yet; it will finish in the sauce.
3. Add broth and pasta. Pour in the chicken broth, then lay the pasta in dry, straight from the box. No pre-boiling. Bring it up to a gentle simmer.
4. Simmer until creamy. Let it simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring often so the pasta cooks evenly and does not catch on the bottom. It is ready when the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
5. Stir in the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and add black pepper. Stir to bring it together into a silky sauce.
6. Top and bake. Scatter the cheese over the top. Clip the handle off and slide the bare pan into the oven at 200°C / 400°F for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
7. To the table. Clip the handle back on, lift the pan out, and bring it straight to the table. The pan is the serving dish.

Tips

• Too dry before the pasta is done? Splash in a little hot water and keep simmering.
• Sauce too loose? Give it one more minute at a simmer to tighten up.
• Cheese: almost any melting cheese works. Mozzarella gives you the stretch, parmesan brings salt and depth. A mix of both is lovely.
• No oven? Skip the bake. Stir the cheese in off the heat until it melts into the sauce, and serve straight away.

Frequently asked questions

Can I really cook the pasta without boiling it separately?

Yes. The dry pasta cooks directly in the broth and cream. As it softens it releases starch, which thickens the sauce, so you get a tender pasta and a creamy sauce from one pan with nothing to drain.

Can I put my stainless steel pan in the oven?

An uncoated tri-ply stainless steel pan body is oven-safe. On a PHILIATRIP pan the handle detaches, so you take the handle off before the pan goes in, then clip it back on to lift the pan out and carry it to the table.

Can I use chicken thigh instead of breast?

Either works. Thigh stays a little juicier and more forgiving, breast is leaner. Cut both into bite-size chunks so they cook quickly in the sauce.

What if I do not have heavy cream?

Heavy cream gives the silkiest result. In a pinch, a splash of milk with a little extra cheese will still give you a creamy sauce, though it will be lighter.