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Every home cook needs a go-to healthy pasta recipe, with a great homemade tomato sauce. This chicken penne pasta takes just 30 minutes, from stovetop to table. 240 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
Skillet Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Skillet chicken penne pasta fits right into my penchant for 30-minute meals. And really, one can never have enough healthy chicken pasta recipes. As you may have noticed with my posts on 30-Minute Healthy Dinner Recipes and Healthy School Night Recipes, I often have easy recipes on the brain. You know the kind I mean. They are your lifesavers when you come home from work after a long day or the kids are staring at you with that ravenous wild-eyed look, the one they get just before they tackle their sibling for no apparent reason.
I have lost count of the number of times that pasta with store-bought tomato sauce has graced our dinner table. As much as I enjoy the convenience of those jars of sauce in my pantry, I am usually left complete non-plussed by their flavor. In fact, I spend so much time doctoring up the sauce with oregano, basil, salt and pepper that I might as well have made my own sauce.
So that's just what I did in this recipe.
When I first started cooking, homemade tomato sauce seemed daunting. It was something that tasted great only when made by an Italian nonna or an experienced chef. How could a Canadian home cook with zero Italian heritage stand a chance with this classic sauce?! What I learned...from an actual Italian nonna in Tuscany (through many dramatic hand gestures)...is that the best tomato sauces are made from the best ingredients. Not rocket science, right? The whole is only as good as the parts.
The first and most important step is to choose crushed tomatoes with great flavor, such as these ones. Fresh basil and good olive oil are "musts", too.
In this chicken tomato pasta recipe, I simmered the sauce for 10 minutes, in the interest of putting dinner on the table quickly. If you have extra time, by all means simmer the sauce for longer to intensify the flavor.
The rest is just as easy. Your favorite whole wheat pasta (this is my favorite), a couple of chicken breasts and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Dinner is served!
Other whole wheat pasta recipes:
{Cookin' Canuck}
{Cookin' Canuck}
Kale Pesto Pasta {Kristine's Kitchen}
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Eggs, Spinach & Pangritata {Wright Family Table}
Printable Recipe
Skillet Chicken Penne Pasta
Every home cook needs a go-to healthy pasta recipe, with a great homemade tomato sauce. This chicken penne pasta takes just 30 minutes, from stovetop to table.
4.84 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entrees
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Clean Eating, Whole Wheat Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 13 Cups
Calories: 134kcal
Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 package 13 ounces whole wheat penne (or other pasta)
The Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 large carrots cut into half circles
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 4 basil leaves thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain.
The Sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, bring the sauce to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and basil.
Add the chicken and pasta to the sauce, and stir to coat.
Season to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the LoseIt! calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5Cups | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2470IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.
The was originally posted on August 18, 2015 and was updated on July 19, 2019.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Charlie
It says red pepper flakes in the ingredients, but where do you add them in the recipe?
Reply
Dara
Hi Charlie, I apologize for the omission. Add them at the same time as the garlic and oregano.
Reply
SJ
Five stars just for having a jump to recipe button at top! Cooking recipe now will leave separate review but smells delish!Reply
Emma
Thanks for this pasta recipe. I will definitely try.Reply
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