Last Bite Chicken Pasta (Print)

A flexible chicken pasta with fresh veggies, creamy cheese, and pantry staples for a fast, flavorful meal.

# Ingredients:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 large chicken breast, diced (or 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded)

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or similar)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
05 - 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
07 - 1/2 cup spinach, roughly chopped

→ Pantry Staples

08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
11 - 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce

→ Dairy

12 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
14 - 1/3 cup heavy cream

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh basil leaves
16 - Cracked black pepper

→ Finish

17 - Zest of 1 lemon

# Instructions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and diced bell pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Add cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini, and dried Italian herbs. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Stir in canned diced tomatoes, frozen peas, and chopped spinach. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Return cooked chicken to skillet, pour in heavy cream and half of Parmesan and mozzarella. Stir gently until cheeses melt and sauce thickens.
07 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.
08 - Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve topped with remaining cheese, fresh basil leaves, cracked black pepper, and lemon zest.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It's a genuine pantry clearer that tastes like you spent hours on it, when you really just grabbed whatever was there.
  • The 5-4-3-2-1 structure makes it impossible to mess up, even if you swap half the ingredients.
  • Creamy, comforting, and done in under an hour—the kind of weeknight dinner that feels like a small victory.
02 -
  • Reserving pasta water isn't optional—it's the thing that turns clumpy pasta into silky, well-coated strands, and I learned this the hard way by serving something that looked like a brick.
  • Don't stir the chicken constantly while it's searing; let it develop color first, and the flavor deepens exponentially.
  • Taste before serving because salt levels vary wildly depending on what cheese you used and what other pantry items went into the pot.
03 -
  • Make this in the morning by cooking everything except adding the pasta, then reheat gently with the pasta added at the very end so it doesn't get soggy overnight.
  • If you're doubling the recipe, use a very large skillet or cook in two batches because crowding the pan makes everything steam instead of sear, and that's where flavor disappears.
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