One-Pot Tomato, Basil, + Chicken Pasta

Y’all know I love pasta, + I especially love a pasta dish that’s as quick + easy to make as it is delicious. I’d been seeing a One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta coming across pinterest + facebook a lot recently, + I decided to give it a try with a few changes of my own. In this recipe, rather than boil the pasta separately like you do with most pasta dishes, you cook it in the pot with the broth, tomatoes, + herbs. The benefit of cooking it this way is two-fold. First, it imparts a ton of flavor into the pasta, as it gets to absorb all sorts of awesomeness. And second, it saves time, as you only have one pot to clean up at the end!

So, how was it? Really flippin’ delicious! Between the seasoned diced tomatoes, the italian seasoning, + the fresh basil, it has a bright, delicious herb flavor. As the pasta cooks in the broth, the starch releases out, creating a creamy, rich tomato sauce. While the original recipe is vegetarian, I added chicken to mine, + am so glad I did. The chicken adds a whole ‘nother level of flavor, plus packs an awesome protein punch. The end result is a super simple, yet truly scrumptious pasta dish. And since it’s all cooked in one pot (and takes less than 20 minutes total), it’s perfect for a quick, easy-to-clean-up weeknight meal. Give this one a try, friends – I think you’ll love it!

One-Pot Tomato, Basil + Chicken Pasta

serves 6-8, adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces pasta (I used bowties, but any short pasta works nicely)
1 can (15 ounces) Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic + Oregano (or a comparable brand of Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes)
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (omit to make a vegetarian dish)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1/4 teaspoon if you want a less-spicy dish)
2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onions + cook until onions are translucent + softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic + cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.

Add the remaining ingredients to the stock pot – the pasta, diced tomatoes with their liquid, crushed tomatoes, shredded chicken, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, fresh basil, chicken broth, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt + pepper. Stir everything together until well combined.

Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer + cook for 10-15 minutes (depending on the type of pasta you choose), stirring frequently. Cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated + pasta has reached an al dente consistency. Add more salt + pepper if needed + stir well. Serve with a generous topping of freshly grated Parmesan cheese + enjoy!

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