All the flavors of a classic Margherita pizza in cheesy pasta form! This Creamy Chicken Margherita Pasta is loaded with tender chicken, ripe tomatoes, garlic, basil and Italian seasonings in a creamy-dreamy ricotta parmesan sauce! It’s a one pot pasta that is easy to make and even easier to devour!
*Updated*
This post was originally published in July 2018. I’ve updated the post below to include more information about Margherita pasta. Plus, I’ve included a recipe video to show you how easy chicken pasta is to make!
Hi there, friends! What are your thoughts on recipe mashups – like say, taco pizza or caprese hummus?
Personally, I LIVE for a good mashup. I mean, gimme a delicious two-fer all day, every day. In all seriousness though, why have just one dish when you can have two? Together. At once?! It’s nothing short of brilliant and spectacular if you ask me.
However, it was recently brought to my attention on social media that not everyone shares my love of mashups, and some people (or maybe it was just someone) think(s) individual dishes should each stay in their own lane.
So it got me thinking, and I want to know your thoughts! Team mashup or team no ma’am/no fun here? I’m certainly hoping you love a fabulous food mashup, because it just happens to be what I’m sharing today.
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One Pot Chicken Margherita Pasta
Silky, al dente linguine and tender, bite sized pieces of chicken breast tossed in a creamy, cheesy sauce studded with juicy tomatoes, sweet basil, and pungent onions with notes of fragrant garlic and spicy pepper flakes. Dolloped with rich ricotta, this pasta tastes like a classic margherita pizza minus the crust!
But, the fantastic flavor isn’t the only thing that makes this pasta too legit to quit!
This easy, cheesy chicken margherita pasta all comes together in just ONE POT. Plus, it can be prepped, ready and on the table in 40 minutes or less!!
Basically, this one pot creamy chicken pasta wonder is perfect for hectic weeknight dinners, and it’s also elegant enough for weekend entertaining! In a nutshell, this margherita pasta is just plain WINNING.
What is margherita pasta?
Margherita pasta is a spin on traditional Pizza Margherita. It utilizes all the ingredients and flavors from the classic Italian pizza – tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and basil – and transforms them into a comforting, flavorful pasta dish!
What is Margherita pizza? Margherita pizza vs. pasta?
In case you are unfamiliar with pizza Margherita, there is a widespread belief that it was invented in honor of the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. Pizza Margherita is a typical Neapolitan pizza and is adorned in the colors of the Italian flag – red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella) and green (basil).
This One Pot Margherita Pasta takes the same tomatoes and basil, but nixes the mozzarella in favor of creamy, rich ricotta and amps up the flavors with the addition of Italian seasoning, garlic, parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes. Plus, chicken is added to make this a more substantial meal.
If you love pizza Margherita, you are going to fall head over heels for this pasta version of the famous pizza!
How to make Margherita Pasta?
Chicken Margherita Pasta is incredibly easy to make. This pasta only requires one pot and can be ready in 40 minutes or less!
(Scroll down for the detailed measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.)
- Cook chicken. Melt butter in a large skillet and cook chicken until golden brown, but not cooked through, about 4-6 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Cook vegetables. Add onions to the skillet and sauté until translucent in color. Add half of the tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add in the garlic, Italian seasonings and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the liquid. Add the broth and half-and-half to the pan, whisking to combine.
- Add chicken and pasta. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the pasta. Bring to a slow boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.
- Cover and cook. Cover the pan and cook for 1-15 minutes, or until the pasta is just al dente.
- Garnish and serve. Reduce heat under the pan to low and stir in the parmesan cheese. Remove pan from heat and stir in the remaining tomatoes and basil. Dollop with ricotta and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Step by step photos of how to make creamy Margherita Pasta:
Recipe tips for the best Margherita Pasta:
- You can absolutely substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts if desired. Just be sure to adjust (increase) the cooking time in step one by a couple minutes.
- I highly recommend using fresh grated parmesan for this (and any) recipe. That stuff in a green can not only tastes weird, but it also does not seamlessly melt into the pasta and become silky smooth like fresh grated parmesan does. Just make sure you use the smallest holes on your box grater for this.
- I strongly recommend you continue to season this One Pot Chicken Margherita Pasta with Ricotta with salt and pepper as you go. (i.e. season the chicken, then season the onion, the half-and-half mixture, etc.) Pasta with creamy based sauces require a good amount of salt to really make all the flavors sing.
- The sauce will continue thicken after you stir in the parmesan, and after you add in the ricotta it will become incredibly rich and creamy, so do not be alarmed if it seems a little bit thin as you are cooking it.
- I always encourage you to make a recipe your own. If you prefer fettuccine to linguine, use that! Or, if you like your pasta with a lot of heat, use more crushed red pepper flakes. Do you like a ton of fresh basil, increase the basil to 1/3 or 1/2 of a cup. Just do you and make the recipe your own!
- For the best flavor, ditch the store-bought Italian seasoning and make your own! Easy homemade Italian Seasoning recipe.
Why choose between pizza and pasta when you can have both!? Creamy-dreamy, full of fresh flavor and easy to prepare, this One Pot Chicken Margherita Pasta with Ricotta is sure to become a family favorite!
Until next week friends, cheers – to one pot wonders!
XOXO
Cheyanne
More easy pasta recipes:
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The best Chicken Margherita Pasta recipe plus step-by-step video👇
One Pot Chicken Margherita Pasta with Ricotta
Equipment
- Large Straight-Sided Skillet or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - sliced into ¾’’ pieces
- 2 TBS Unsalted Butter DIVIDED
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 small Yellow Onion chopped
- 8 Roma Tomatoes - seeded, small dice & divided in ½
- 4-6 cloves Garlic - minced (SEE NOTES)
- 2 tsp Dried Italian Seasoning (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes plus more for garnishing
- 2 TBS All Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 ½ Cups Half-and-Half
- 8 ounces Linguine - broken in half
- ¾ Cup Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to taste
- ¼ Cup Fresh Basil - thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
For Serving: Grated Parmesan, Crusty Artisan Bread
Instructions
- Cook chicken: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large straight sided skillet, or Dutch oven, over medium high heat. Add the chicken* and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, but not cooked through, about 4-6 minutes total. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Cook vegetables: Reduce heat to medium low and add in the oil and remaining butter. Once melted, increase heat to medium and add in the onions and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in half of the tomatoes and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add in the garlic, Italian seasonings and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the flour and cook, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the liquids: Add in the chicken broth and half-and-half, whisking constantly to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken back to the pan along with the pasta. Bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is just al dente - Uncover the pan and stir once or twice during cooking to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in the remaining tomatoes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- To serve: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh basil and dollop with the ricotta. Stir to combine. Garnish with more basil, parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve and Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can absolutely substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts if desired. Just be sure to adjust (increase) the cooking time in step one by a couple minutes.
- Cook the chicken in two separate batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause the chicken to steam, instead of sear and your chicken won't get golden brown in color.
- The amount of garlic depends on personal preference. If you like a lot of garlic flavor, use 6 cloves. If you are garlic averse, use 4 small cloves.
- I highly recommend using fresh grated parmesan for this (and any) recipe. That stuff in a green can not only tastes weird, but it also does not seamlessly melt into the pasta and become silky smooth like fresh grated parmesan does. Just make sure you use the smallest holes on your box grater for this.
- I strongly recommend you continue to season this dish with salt and pepper as you go. (i.e. season the chicken, then season the onion, the half-and-half mixture, etc.) Pasta with creamy based sauces require a good amount of salt to really make all the flavors sing.
- The sauce will continue thicken after you stir in the parmesan, and after you add in the ricotta it will become incredibly rich and creamy, so do not be alarmed if it seems a little bit thin as you are cooking it.
- I always encourage you to make a recipe your own. If you prefer fettuccine to linguine, use that! If you like your pasta with a lot of heat, use more crushed red pepper flakes. If you like a ton of fresh basil, increase the basil to 1/3 or 1/2 of a cup. Just do you!
Nutrition
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I tried this tonight, the whole family loved it. Since I don’t like peppers, I used mushrooms instead.I live one pot meals and all your tips were great.I’m going to make your Italian seasoning for future recipes
Hi Julie,
I’m absolutely thrilled your whole family loved this pasta! Your substitution of mushrooms instead of peppers sounds delicious – I am definitely going to try that!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how everything went over! Cheers!
Directions were easy to follow. I adapted this easily GF & dairy free. It was amazing!
Hi Karen,
I’m happy to hear you were able to adapt the recipe to fit your needs! And, I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the pasta! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how everything went over!
Cheers and warm wishes for a happy New Year!
Just made this and it was a hit, love one pot meals, I did make one addition, I threw in a couple of handfuls of chopped spinach. Delish,!!!!!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this pasta, Ellen!! I love the addition of spinach – sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that! Cheers and thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it went over!
Definitely team mash up! I love everything mixed in one pot. It’s all just so much more flavorful that way. This pasta looks absolutely irresistible! Our family would definitely love it!
That video is making me drool! Is it terrible that it’s 9am and I WANT/NEED a plate of this pasta?! Delicious work my friend! Hope you have an awesome week!
I’m 1000% (even 1001%) for mashups! Fist of all, it’s just cool to have so much more options by mixing different things. Secondly, if you can get inspired by different cuisines/styles and get something awesome, that’s super cool. After all, all these cronuts, cruffins, and other “Frankenstein foods” were created by adventures (and very humble) people like you and I – maybe one day we create a new combo which will become famous too. And this pasta is 1000 (no 1001)% delicious. My cup of tea. I mean bowl of pasta 🙂
I love one pot dinners, Cheyanne – so easy and good. And I am totally team mashup – I love experimenting in the kitchen and it’s a great way to try different things and come up with something different and delicious – like this recipe! Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Agreed! I’m a big fan of recipe mashups – really, why choose just one when you can have the best of both! This pasta is truly drool worthy my friend!
One pot meals are the best for all those busy weeknights! This one looks so good!
Wow! I could eat this every day of the week. All my favourite s in one beautiful pot 🙂
I’m on Team Mashup! And this one looks amazing Chey! And who’s not up for a one pot wonder any night of the week?! Can’t wait to give this one a try! Happy weekend. Hope you’re staying cool!
My thoughts on recipe mashups are quite positive! And this recipe proves my case! WoW! To have everything I love in one pot seems too good to be true! But it is true! Lucky us!!
I’m fully onboard with mashups. Why choose between two dishes when you can have both? Some people are just kinda crazy :). This sound AWESOME! I love Margherita pizza so I know I’d love this. Happy weekend, Chey!
I’m all about mashups. I think they’re so fun and creative! Like this recipe – I love it! It sounds incredible, especially with the ricotta cheese.
Margherita pizza flavoured in pasta form sounds and looks beyond delicious. Carbs, fat and protein…all in one. I NEED this after weight training!