This Chicken Parm Pasta is filling, satisfying and is nostalgic of the beloved Chicken Parmesan. It’s a fast and easy recipe that will make everyone in your family excited for dinner!

I was watching old episodes of The Pioneer Woman (I am obsessed), and her chicken parm pasta inspired me to make my own. I am always trying to come up with fun recipes that my toddler and my husband and I enjoy eating together! This chicken parm pasta tastes just like chicken parm, just in pasta form! The pasta form suits my toddler’s tastes better, and my husband and I love it just as much as chicken parm. The sauce is made of whole tomatoes but tastes rich and creamy from the chunks of mozzarella. My favorite part of this recipe is the roasted breadcrumbs you sprinkle on top of the chicken. Delicious! It takes 10 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to make. I hope you love this dinner recipe as much as my family and I do!

Ingredients

You will need Salted Butter, Panko Breadcrumbs, Chicken Breasts, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Water, Spaghetti Noodles, Whole Tomatoes – you can also use crushed tomatoes if you prefer, Sugar, Fresh Parsley, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese and Pasta Water.

For Littles

My toddler is a pasta lover, so I try to come up with pasta dishes that are flavorful & healthy; this one is a favorite of my daughter’s! I love that she’s getting good protein and vitamins from the chicken and pasta as well as vitamin C from the tomatoes. It’s also very easy to eat! You can serve this to your little one 9 months +! You can tear the chicken up as well as the pasta to meet where your baby is at when it comes to solids.

How To

Toast your breadcrumbs and set aside. Cook your chicken while you start cooking your pasta.

Throw in some water to deglaze the pan, then add in tomatoes and crush. Bring to a simmer and cover. Now add in the cooked pasta, parsley, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stir and then cover until melted. Throw the chicken back in!

Top with the toasted breadcrumbs. Enjoy!:)

Chicken Parm Pasta

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dinner, For Toddlers, Lunch, Main Dishes, Recipes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 lb chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb spaghetti noodles
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes * see notes
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pasta water

Instructions

 

• In a small saucepan, heat the butter up over medium heat. Once hot, add in the panko breadcrumbs and stir constantly for 5 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Set aside!
• Heat up the olive oil in a big pot over medium/high heat. At this point, you can start boiling the water for the spaghetti next to your big pot with the olive oil. Cook the spaghetti according to the box directions and save 1/2 cup of pasta water!
• Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked black pepper; then leave the chicken there for 3-4 minutes until browned. Once brown, flip and repeat until the chicken is browned and finished cooking. Once cooked, move the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the 1/4 cup of water to deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
• Add in the whole tomatoes. Bring the tomatoes to a low simmer and cover for 5 minutes.
• Uncover and mash the tomatoes with a potato masher until there are no more big chunks. Add in the 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and freshly cracked black pepper.
• At this point your pasta should be done and ready to add in to complete the sauce along with the cheese. When it’s done, drain and save 1/2 cup of pasta water.
• Turn the heat down to low on the tomato mixture and add the cooked pasta, the parsley, mozzarella chunks, and Parmesan cheese. Mix and then cover for 3 minutes until melted.
• Add your cooked chicken into the pasta and stir. If sauce is too thick, you can add the pasta water in to thin it out or omit it.
• Top with breadcrumbs and serve! You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy!:)

Notes

* alternatively you can use a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes! I have used both and both are yummy!