One Pot Chicken & Veggie Spaghetti

 

Here at the Elam house we’ve been eating more and more pasta lately. I don’t know if its the pregnant lady in me craving “allllll the carbs” or if its just easy … but this dish is a winner and here’s why:

  1. It comes together in 30 minutes.

  2. Just one pot to clean!

  3. It’s packed full of veggies and high fiber pasta.

  4. I can easily remove the (mostly plain) chicken for my more finicky child that won’t eat pasta.

  5. Leftovers are just as good as the day it was made.

  6. Very versatile. I’ve added mushrooms, olives, capers, artichokes, kale, and even broccoli to this dish and it never disappoints.

Everyone needs a one pot pasta dish on their meal plan. I hope you enjoy this one!

Note: I must add that I’m mad at myself that I didn’t use just a simple pound of pasta… 12 ounces, really Liz?! But, this is the way I made it the first time and I never did it differently! The liquid/pasta ratios has to be right for this dish. The recipe (as written) is one ounce pasta to .6 ounces water (that’s 1.5 Tablespoons). So technically, if you used a pound of pasta you would use 3 cups of broth. Your welcome!!!

One Pot Chicken & Veggie Spaghetti

One Pot Chicken & Veggie Spaghetti

Yield: 6-8
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2-3 pounds chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 large zucchini, chopped
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3/4 cup feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Basil as garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.
  2. Add in zucchini, onions, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté until just tender - about 5-7 minutes - and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Return the Dutch oven to the heat and add the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil and add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through - about 5 minutes. Add it to the bowl of veggies. Set aside.
  4. Return the Dutch oven to the heat and add the chicken broth or water, spaghetti (I broke my noodles in half) and bay leaves. Gently stir to submerge pasta. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is cooked through and water or broth is absorbed. (I usually have a tiny bit of broth left in the pot but it quickly evaporates once I remove the lid to the Dutch oven. If your pasta is done and you feel like you have too much broth or water remaining, just drain it off.)
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the veggies, chicken and the cherry tomatoes. Stir in the feta and parmesan cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired.
  6. *Season with salt and pepper, to taste, along the way. (It doesn't need much because the cheese adds a lot of flavor at the end.)
 
Main EntreeElizabeth Elam