To make chicken and vegetable marinara pasta, boil 16 oz of rigatoni while you cook a 12 oz bag of frozen California-blend vegetables in 2 tbsp of olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of cubed rotisserie chicken, 1 tsp of garlic powder, salt and pepper, then pour in a 24 oz jar of marinara. Dot the sauce with mini mozzarella balls, cover for 4 to 5 minutes until they melt, then toss in the drained pasta. It serves 4 in about 20 minutes.
This 15 minute chicken and vegetable marinara pasta is my favorite busy weeknight go-to recipe. It’s cheesy, saucy comfort food that comes together with simple ingredients and is ready in no time at all.
This easy skillet recipe is one that I am so excited to share with you. It is hands down one of my favorite go-to recipes when life becomes hectic. As a busy mom and teacher, I know firsthand how incredibly difficult it can be to work all day and then come home and try to feed an entire family.
That’s why I’m all in when it comes to quick and easy recipes that don’t sacrifice flavor, like my 20 minute chicken and vegetable marinara pasta. Trust me, this simple dish is a game-changer!
why you’ll love this chicken and vegetable marinara pasta recipe
- Time-Saving: Rotisserie chicken, a bag of frozen vegetables and a jar of marinara mean there’s nothing to chop. The sauce is ready by the time the pasta is drained.
- Freezer and Pantry Friendly: Everything except the chicken and mozzarella can live in your freezer or pantry, so it’s an easy dinner to keep on hand.
- Big Flavor: Garlicky marinara and pockets of melted mozzarella give it a baked-pasta feel without turning on the oven.
- Versatile and Customizable: Swap in any frozen vegetable blend, any short pasta, or cubed string cheese for the mozzarella balls.
- Kid-Friendly: Pasta, red sauce and melty cheese are a combination most kids already love, and the veggies are cut small.
- Minimal Cleanup: One skillet for the sauce and one pot for the pasta.
ingredients
To make this easy and delicious chicken and vegetable marinara pasta recipe you’ll need a few ingredients that you can get at almost any grocery store or even online!
Here’s what we are working with:
- rigatoni pasta
- olive oil
- frozen California medley blend vegetables
- rotisserie chicken
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- marinara pasta sauce
- mini mozzarella cheese balls
how to make chicken and vegetable marinara pasta
You’ll find the exact amounts and printable steps in the recipe card below. Here’s what each step looks like, plus the little things that make it work.
1. Cook the pasta. Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the vegetables and chicken. Into a large skillet over medium-high heat, place the olive oil and frozen vegetables. Give a good stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes, then add the rotisserie chicken along with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let it cook until the veggies and chicken are heated through.
3. Add the marinara and mozzarella. Pour the marinara sauce into the skillet and give a good stir. Add the mini mozzarella balls and cover until the cheese is melty, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Toss with the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, toss to coat and serve immediately.
how to store and reheat chicken marinara pasta
Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or extra marinara, because the pasta soaks up sauce as it sits. For freezing, it’s best to freeze the chicken and vegetable sauce without the pasta for up to 3 months, then thaw it overnight and toss it with freshly cooked pasta.
tips for the best chicken and vegetable marinara pasta
- Cook off the water from the frozen veggies. Let the vegetables cook until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates before adding the sauce, so the marinara stays thick.
- Cut the veggies smaller if needed. Some California blends have big broccoli and cauliflower florets. Halve them with a spatula in the pan so every bite has a little of everything.
- Keep the lid on. The trapped steam melts the mozzarella balls into soft, gooey pools without stirring them into the sauce.
- Save a little pasta water. If the sauce gets thick once the rigatoni goes in, a splash of pasta water loosens it.
- Use a sauce you like straight from the jar. The marinara is the main seasoning here, so its flavor carries the whole dish.
I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as we do. It’s definitely one of those recipes worth saving. There’s nothing better than having what looks and tastes like a gourmet meal on the table, but one that saves you time behind the scenes.
Please leave us a star review and comment if you make this family favorite recipe.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. I answer every single question as quickly as I can.
Happy cooking! And thanks for being part of our tribe, The Tasteful Tribe!
ENJOY!
chicken marinara pasta FAQs
California blend is usually broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Any frozen vegetable blend works, like an Italian blend or peas and carrots.
Yes. Cut about 3 cups of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots into small, bite-size pieces and cook them a few minutes longer, until they’re crisp-tender, before adding the chicken.
Yes. Cut 1 pound of chicken breast into bite-size pieces and cook it in the olive oil until it reaches 165°F before adding the vegetables, then continue with the recipe.
String cheese cut into cubes works well, or scatter 1 to 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella over the sauce before covering the pan.
Yes. Any short pasta that holds chunky sauce works, like penne, ziti or cavatappi.
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20 Minute Chicken and Vegetable Marinara Pasta (Simple Skillet Recipe)
- SFSugar Free
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta
- 12 oz frozen California medley blend vegetables
- 2 cups cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken works great, cubed
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 24 oz jarred marinara pasta sauce
- 12 mini mozzarella balls, or string cheese cut into cubes
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Into a large skillet over medium high heat, place olive oil and frozen vegetables. Give a good stir, cook 3-4 minutes then add in the rotisserie chicken along with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Let simmer until veggies and chicken are heated through.
- Pour the marinara sauce into the skillet and give a good stir. Add in the mini mozzarella balls and cover until cheese is melty; about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the cooked pasta and serve immediately.
Equipment
- 1 skillet
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