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Looking for a new family favorite that’s rich in flavor, and is ready in 20 minutes? Then this One Pan Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes is perfect for you!

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Why We Love This Recipe

I love one pan dishes because everything cooks up in one pan, so there’s very little clean up required. Our family doesn’t spend enough time together as it is, so anything that helps me get out of the kitchen quicker after dinner, is a real plus in my book!

Like most of my one pan meals, this dish is ready in about twenty minutes! Lemon chicken pasta has such a fresh flavor, and there is a nice kick of spice from crushed red pepper flakes. If you are serving to young children, or just really don’t like spicy dishes, that can be left out.

How to Make Lemon Chicken Pasta

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

  • First, you’ll saute some onion in olive oil until it’s nice and soft, and becoming translucent. Then add some garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding some diced chicken.
  • You’re going to just brown the chicken, meaning you won’t be cooking it all the way through, but just until it is no longer pink on the outside. This helps the chicken to stay nice and juicy as it continues to cook.
  • Next you’ll add the remaining ingredients – rotini pasta (any small pasta will do), grape or cherry tomatoes, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, lemon juice, chicken broth, and water.
  • Stir, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Continue stirring the mixture often as it boils, for about nine or ten minutes or until the pasta is tender. Most of the liquid should have evaporated at this point, but there will likely still be some in the pan.
  • Sprinkle with a cup of Mozzarella cheese, and cover for ten minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Any additional liquid in the pan should thicken or be absorbed.
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Serving Suggestions + Variations

With this recipe, you’ve got a complete meal all in one pan that’s ready in under 30 minutes. It makes 4 servings, but if you want to stretch it a little farther, serve it with a refreshing Copycat Olive Garden Salad or some Roasted Broccolini. Some Air Fryer Texas Toast Garlic Bread would be a nice touch, too.

Don’t have all the ingredients? Here are a few ingredient variation ideas:

  • Protein – If you have leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken, you can use that instead. Dice into chunks and add to the pan after you saute the onions.
  • Vegetables – Tomatoes are really nice in this dish, and you can use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Canned diced tomatoes (well drained) work too. Other veggie options would be diced bell pepper, green beans or broccoli.
  • Pasta – Any type of small pasta will work. I’m just partial to rotini.

Storage

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

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More One Pan Meals To Love

Recipe
A pan of chicken, tomatoes, and pasta

One Pan Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes

4.89 from 9 votes
Looking for a new family favorite that’s rich in flavor, and is ready in under 20 minutes? Then this One Pan  Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes is perfect for you!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 8 oz small, dry pasta about 2 ½ cups
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Juice from one large or two small lemons
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzerella
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Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add onion and stir, cooking until soft and nearly translucent.
  • Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add chicken and cook until just browned.
  • Stir in the pasta, tomatoes, chicken broth, lemon juice, water, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil and continue to stir often, uncovered, for about nine minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, and cover for ten minutes or until cheese is melted and remaining liquid is absorbed.

Notes

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.
Keyword cherry tomato pasta, lemon chicken pasta

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 40gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 1335mgPotassium: 729mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 523IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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4.89 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Courtney Adams says:

    This recipe is in my “favorites” board! I used rotisserie chicken tonight (I needed it for another recipe, so I had it on hand), only used half the amount of salt & black pepper listed, and added the tomatoes in the last 3 minutes. So flavorful!

    1. Kristin says:

      Nice! Love your feedback Courtney, thanks for stopping by to share.

  2. Miranda says:

    Didnt have chicken broth or mozzarella cheese. Followed the recipe and used 3 cups water and left the cheese off and it was still yummy

    1. Kristin says:

      That’s awesome Miranda! Thanks for stopping by.

  3. Becca W says:

    I’ve been making this recipe for years and it is one of my ABSOLUTE favorites! Excellent, light flavor, and easy to put together.

    1. Kristin says:

      Awesome feedback Becca! Thanks for stopping by.

  4. Angelina Switzer says:

    Very delicious and flavorful! I like that it’s an adaptable recipe also. I might try sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh next time! Thank so much for posting this, I had a bunched of chopped chicken breast I needed to use up, your recipe was perfect!

    1. Kristin says:

      You are so welcome Angelina! Fantastic feedback, thanks for stopping by.

  5. Michelle says:

    been making this since 2014!! one of the first meals my now husband and i constantly cook together!

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Wow Michelle, thanks for that comment! This is one of the first recipes I shared and I’m so glad to hear that you love it so much!!

  6. Torin says:

    How do you think this recipe would work out with whole canned tomatoes? Fresh tomatoes in Taipei are massively expensive and you usually can’t find small ones like this anyways.

    1. Kristin says:

      I think you could swap them out. You would probably need to either drain them or reduce the other liquid.

  7. Bellaterra says:

    We give this recipe a 9-10.Its a cold febuary night and this was the perfect way to warm up.The reason it is a 9 is because one of our tasters said it was too sweet. Other than that it was amazing.Keep up the good recipes. We used tri colored pasta which made it beautiful and tasty.This was prepared by a 8, 10, and 75 year old trio.

  8. Katlyn says:

    This recipe is just plain amazing. I discovered it on Pinterest a couple months ago and I have made it at least once every other week since!

    1. Kristin says:

      So glad to hear, thank you!

  9. Steph Shambo says:

    I really loved this recipe – great lemon and spice flavor! When I added the tomatoes per the recipe, though, they pretty much disintegrated during the boiling process, and we were left with skins, not the beautiful red halves I see in the images. Were those added with the pasta and broth, or later in the cooking process? It was still delicious, but curious for the next time I make this (which will be soon!).

    1. Kristin says:

      Yes that can happen. Next time I’d try maybe adding the tomatoes halfway through.

  10. Stacy feutz says:

    This is great but I don’t see any nutritional information. Could I get it please?

    1. Kristin says:

      Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information for any of my recipes. I recommend utilizing online calorie counters at your discretion to obtain such information.

  11. Aiych says:

    I’m sorry but where are the actual measurements?? I looked at it a few days ago and they were there but now all it says is amd-zlrecipe-recipe:83

    Is that an error? Thanks!

    1. Kristin says:

      Thanks for your message. We are working on some technical issues, but I am seeing the recipe when I click on the post. Please clear your cache on your internet browser and try again. Thanks!

  12. Melissa says:

    I really wanted to try this however I couldn’t find the actual recipe!!! Feeling disappointed!

    1. Kristin says:

      Thanks for your message. We are working on some technical issues, but I am seeing the recipe when I click on the post. Please clear your cache on your internet browser and try again. Thanks!

  13. Monica says:

    Made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! Seriously, so easy and so good. I used meat from a store bought rotisserie chicken. This recipe is going into our regular rotation. Thanks for sharing!

  14. Rachel @ Little Ivie Lane says:

    I’ve made this 4 or 5 times now and it is definitely a family favorite! I didn’t have any rotini this time so I used angel hair pasta instead and it was just as delicious!

  15. Kristin says:

    This was so yummy! My super picky husband LOVED it!

  16. Emily says:

    just what I was looking for!! thank!pinned it!

  17. Margaret Ann says:

    You are my new BFF in my mind! I have made this dish 3x now and my boys love it..and I love the easy clean-up. Thanks for a great recipe. Looking forward to making the one skillet dinner with the sausage and zucchini.

  18. Kim says:

    Delicious! The 4 y.o. was not a fan but I think he’s in a mood tonight. The 12 y.o twins loved it!!

  19. Aariel says:

    We loved this! I didnt change a thing, and it turned out perfect. My husband and I both had a bunch and there were leftovers. We’ll be adding this to our regular meal rotation for sure!

  20. Andrea says:

    I made this tonight it was INCREDIBLE!!! I doubled the lemon because we love lemon and used sun dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes…. it was a huge hit! it’s so nice to have a light but filling pasta recipe that isn’t covered in a heavy fatty sauce. Thank you!!!!

    1. Kristin says:

      Thanks so much for letting me know that you loved it!

  21. Amanda says:

    I made this last week and it was delicious! We’re going to be having it again tonight because I need something quick and easy! Thanks!

  22. Rachel @ Little Ivie Lane says:

    I just made this tonight and it was great! I halved the recipe since it was just me and my husband, but I wish I hadn’t so we’d have leftovers! I didn’t have rotini or mozzarella on hand, so I substituted whole wheat penne and swiss cheese and it was still delicious! I will definitely be making it again. It’s an excellent summer dish! Thanks so much for sharing!

  23. C. Wolfe says:

    This looks amazing! I’m looking for easy meals to make for a big group of friends during an upcoming vacation…how many does this recipe typically serve? Thanks!

    1. Kristin says:

      I’d say it serves 4-6. 🙂

  24. Christy says:

    I make a lot of recipes from websites with rating systems so I can kind-of-guarantee their success. This one sounded good to me, though, and I’m so glad I tried it! The flavors in this are amazing! I cannot believe something so simple is so yummy. Also, I have a daughter with dairy sensitivity and it was easy to just leave the cheese off of her portion. Thank you, thank you for such a yummy recipe! Five stars! 😉

  25. Carrie says:

    Made this tonight and it was a big hit in my house. I didn’t have any shredded cheese, but I threw in about 2 ounces of lowfat cream cheese and it made it creamy and delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!

  26. Maxine says:

    I loved this dish . I added marinated artichoke hearts , and diced avocados. I put those in after cooking was done and tossed . I also used pecorino cheese grated instead of mozzarella . Delish , thank you so much

    1. Kristin says:

      Oh what a great idea to add the artichokes! Thanks for sharing your idea!

  27. Helen says:

    I have just made this and ooooooooooo it is sooooo scrummy! TFS this wonderful recipe with us! I prefer not to “boil” the chicken so I sautéd that separately and then added it to the pasta. Two Thumbs UP for this dish!
    Helen – Cape Town

    1. Kristin says:

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  28. Rina~I Thee Cook says:

    I love this recipe! I am also in love with your blog! New follower here.
    Have a great week.

    ~Rina

  29. Christine from Cook the Story says:

    Delicious one pan dinners for the win! The fact that it’s gorgeous is just icing on the cake, um, skillet!

    1. Lyle Priddle says:

      I would not be doing this any justice by giving 5 stars as it is That good . I doubled the list and will have some left for dinner tomorrow If I can stop eating it . Easy to make , Super taste and Very nice looking on the plate . Thanks for sharing