This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This one-pot pasta is a simple weeknight favorite with quick and easy cleanup.
Easy, creamy, and oh-so cheesy, this one-pot pasta simmers the pasta in a rich creamy tomato sauce. It’s the perfect 30 minute meal.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This recipe has a fresh and tangy tomato sauce with a bit of richness from the cream.
- Skill level: It’s a simple one-pot meal, great for cooks of all levels.
- Cooking time: The cooking time can vary by a few minutes based on the size of your pot. Note that the sauce will thicken upon standing from the starches of the pasta.
- Prep note: If you swap the pasta, you may need a bit more or less cooking time.
- Yield: This recipe serves four as a meal or eight as a side dish. It reheats beautifully for lunches if you’ve got leftovers.
Ingredient Tips for One Pot Pasta
- Pasta: I use rotini because the ridges hold the sauce. Other great choices for noodles are penne, bowtie, linguine, fusilli, cavatappi, or medium shells—adjust cooking time and liquid as needed.
- Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes have a tart fresh flavor. It can be replaced with pasta sauce, which is a bit sweeter.
- Cream: Be sure you’re using heavy cream so it doesn’t curdle in the tomatoes.
- Seasoning: Garlic, Italian seasoning, and a hint of red pepper flakes flavor the sauce. If adding fresh herbs like basil, add it just before serving.
- Cheese: Parmesan adds a sharp, nutty flavor, but you can top it with some Mozzarella for a creamy melt, too.
Variations
Saute onion, broccoli florets, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, and sliced carrots in Step 1 for a healthy and filling dish. Add some fresh basil leaves, oregano, or rosemary.
Beef it up! Add some chopped chicken, Italian sausage, or ground beef to stretch this dish even further.
Leftover Pasta?
- Keep leftover one-pot pasta in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat portions in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little milk mixed in to loosen the sauce.
- Freezing isn’t recommended for this recipe since thawed pasta tends to get mushy, but this dish is so easy, start fresh!
Perfect Pasta Recipes
Did you enjoy this One-Pot Pasta? Leave a rating and a comment below!
One Pot Rotini Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 8 ounces rotini penne or other medium pasta
- 2 ½ to 3 cups chicken broth or as needed, or water
- 1 (14 ounce each) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in uncooked pasta, 2 ½ cups broth, crushed tomatoes, cream, and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until the pasta is cooked through, adding more broth if needed*, about 14-18 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Hi! Do you think you could share a recipe for the sauce as a standalone? I need to make regular and gluten free noodles but this sauce sounds so tasty! thanks!
Hi Casey, I have never made just the sauce alone for this recipe. But if you want to prepare just the sauce you can skip the pasta and reduce the broth to about ½ cup. You could add additionally broth while simmering in step 3 if it starts to get too thick for you. I hope that helps!
Why is this recipe different now?
Hi Cylystina, we adjusted the recipe for consistency in flavor and results for our readers. The old recipe was as follows. Enjoy!
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
8 ounces rotini pasta or medium pasta
14 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon chili flakes optional
salt & pepper to taste
2 ½ – 3 cups water or broth, more if needed
2 cups chicken chopped & cooked (leftover or rotisserie chicken work well)
⅔ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
1 ounce fresh parmesan cheese shredded
1 ⅓ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
1.Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
2.Stir in uncooked pasta, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning, chili flakes if using, and 2 ½ cups water. Let simmer uncovered until pasta is cooked adding more water if needed, about 11-13 minutes. (You want enough liquid to create a sauce).
3.Stir in chicken and heavy cream. Let simmer an additional 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and chicken is heated through.
4.Remove from heat and stir in parsley & parmesan cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese and broil until bubbly and lightly browned.
I don’t even know you, but I could kiss you right now! This was a hit with both my picky eater husband and picky little kids alike. Thank heavens!
My tweaks: I used premade pasta sauce instead of the crushed tomato; tossed in a couple cubes of frozen chopped spinach once my onion and garlic had finished sautéing; and added in chunks of cooked chicken breast towards the end.
Pris, that sounds like a fantastic twist on the recipe! I love how you made it your own with the premade sauce, spinach, and chicken—such a great way to pack in extra flavor and nutrition. So glad it was a hit with your whole family.
I love this recipe! So easy and very flavorful. Lots of sauce which makes it good for reheating.
So glad you enjoyed it, Beth!
I just tried this pasta and it’s really delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Can this recipe be doubled?
Sure it can! Cooking time may increase slightly.
As i am a vegetarian we don’t eat chicken. but i would love to try your recipe. could you suggest what i can use instead of the chicken?
You could leave the chicken out or add a hearty vegetable such as mushrooms or zucchini.
This was great. Thank you!
This was SO good! I followed the recipe except added 4 stalks chopped asparagus and some chopped kale for some veggies, and 1 cube chicken stock. Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Those sound like delicious additions! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is really great!!! Eating it as I type this. I had some onion I needed to use up so I started with that and then added the garlic. I also used a little chicken bouillon in the water. It cooked up on time. Thanks so much for a wonderful weeknight dinner!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I really wanted to try this recipe, as I was looking for a one pot simple supper, so adapted it slightly to use what I had available. I used a carton of passata (UK) instead of the tomatoes and creme fraiche instead of the heavy cream. I only had fresh chicken breasts, so chopped up a couple, seasoned them, then browned them off right at the start before adding the garlic and continuing with the rest of the recipe. Every plate was cleared and this will certainly be on the menu again in the very near future.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
This was super delicious and we all loved it! I’m sure the leftovers will be even better. I used small shell pasta because I was out of rotini and it worked great!
I’m so glad you loved it Stacy!