Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Whipped ricotta one pot chicken pasta – with sun dried tomatoes Recipe
A straightforward, one pot chicken pasta recipe that feels somewhat bit rustic-fancy due to a swirl of whipped ricotta and smattering of solar dried tomato. Professional tip: use the oil from the solar dried tomato to sauté the chicken. Free flavour!
Whipped ricotta is a current revelation for me. I’d seen it round for years, however assumed “whipped” meant dragging out the stand mixer – aka, an excessive amount of effort for a Tuesday evening.
Till my brother rolled his eyes and stated, “It’s simply ricotta, milk, and parmesan whisked by hand.” And similar to that, in 10 seconds, lumpy ricotta turns into one thing creamy and dreamy – like savoury whipped cream, which then melts when dolloped on sizzling pasta.
Consider it as a decrease fats model of cream. Swirl it by way of your midweek pasta and impulsively, it goes from “yum” to “are we in a classy trattoria??!”. Positively strikes a fast one-pot pasta recipe into guest-worthy territory!
Really, whipped ricotta had a starring function in my second cookbook, Tonight, as a straightforward option to elevate nearly any roasted vegetable to event-worthy (see the helpful Easy methods to Roast Any Vegetable chart on web page 218). I boldly stated it could be your “new favorite sauce to create an announcement veg facet”. I stand by that! 🙂
Right here it’s with blistered cherry tomatoes in Tonight. Distinctive with roasted carrots, asparagus, broccoli, broccolini, mushrooms – just about any roasted vegetable!
Whereas I’m offering commentary and substitution suggestions, there’s no have to get too pedantic concerning the elements for this recipe as a result of it’s a dependable, pretty versatile midweeker. If the exactness of elements matter for a recipe, you’ll know! I’ll harp on and on about it!!
The whipped ricotta
Simply ricotta, milk and parmesan for a savoury flavour enhance (although I’d completely make this with out).
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Ricotta – Those offered in tubs at grocery shops aren’t nice, then are typically somewhat powdery. For higher high quality, purchase it over the deli counter or get the vacuum-sealed ricotta offered in baskets. My go-to is Paesanella model which is a extensively accessible nowadays, even over the deli counter at grocery shops.
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Milk – Any fats % is okay right here.
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Parmesan – For a flavour enhance. Additionally, as a result of the whipped ricotta is used right here rather than the compulsory parmesan sprinkle that’s sometimes used for pastas, so I prefer to construct it in.
FOR THE ONE POT CHICKEN PASTA
Right here’s what you want for the pasta. The solar dried tomato provides fabulous flavour pops, plus we use the oil from the jar to cook dinner the chicken. Free flavour – and free oil!
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Chicken – I like to make use of boneless thighs as they keep juicier than breast on this type of cooking, the place the chicken items are cooked with the pasta. However breast or tenderloin will work simply fantastic on this recipe.
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Solar dried tomato – Get the strips in oil. As famous above, we use the oil to cook dinner the chicken – actually, it provides beautiful tomatoey flavour! In case you by chance received complete or tomato halves, have enjoyable chopping….oily…slimy! Been there, carried out that! I’d nonetheless make this recipe if I didn’t have solar dried tomato however I’d add one thing to compensate. One thing briny like chopped olives, capers, chargrilled capsicum or any anti-pasto kind factor.
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Canned tomato – I take advantage of crushed because it’s already semi damaged down so it makes a nicer sauce. Although diced is okay too.
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Tomato paste – For further tomato flavour enhance. I’d nonetheless make this if I used to be out.
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Pasta – I used fusilli (spirals) however something brief and never too massive will work. Assume, penne, ziti, macaroni, small shells, farfalle (bow ties), casarecce, orecchiette. However not as small as risoni/orzo or as massive as rigatoni.
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Garlic and onion – Important flavour base! Goes a great distance with these one-pot pasta recipes.
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Wine – Provides further depth of flavour into an in any other case easy, quick-cook sauce. Ideally a dry white wine although I don’t hesitate to make use of leftover flat champagne, rose, purple wine. Non alcoholic is an appropriate substitute although don’t exit of your option to get it.
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Chicken inventory/broth – The cooking liquid. Higher than water. Although, water is definitely fairly good too (we tried), simply add a tad extra salt. I all the time use low sodium shares as a result of I like to regulate the quantity of salt myself.
Is it technically a one pot recipe if I ask you to make use of a separate bowl to make the whipped ricotta?? Forgive me! (But it surely’s price it, I promise).
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Make whipped ricotta – Simply combine the ricotta, parmesan and milk collectively utilizing a hand whisk. At first, it is going to appear lumpy and totally unimpressive, however after about 10 seconds of vigorous whisking it is going to loosen and remodel right into a mushy creamy combination virtually like softly whipped cream. Adjustment observe: Totally different manufacturers of ricotta have completely different consistencies, so add a contact of additional milk if wanted.
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Solar dried tomato oil – Pour oil straight out of the jar into the pot and warmth over excessive.
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Seal chicken – Put the chicken into the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare dinner till the floor is sealed, however the inside continues to be uncooked, then take it out. It received’t brown, that’s okay. It’s nonetheless received flavour on it and it’ll soak up a stack extra flavour within the subsequent steps.
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Saute – Go away the residual fats within the pan (some from the chicken, some solar dried tomato oil). Then sauté the onion and garlic first till the onion is translucent (about 3 minutes). Then cook dinner the solar dried tomato and tomato paste for 1 minute. This can cook dinner out the uncooked bitter flavour within the tomato paste and convey out the flavours within the solar dried tomatoes.
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Liquids and uncooked pasta – Add the wine and let it simmer for 1 – 2 minutes till largely evaporated, stirring the bottom of the pot. This can cook dinner out the alcohol (making it child pleasant) and loosen the gold bits caught on the bottom of the pot (it’s referred to as fond) which is free flavour that may make your sauce taster.
Then stir within the cooked chicken (plus any juices gathered within the bowl) and uncooked pasta – get it properly coated in all that flavour – earlier than including the inventory, canned tomato, salt and pepper.
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Prepare dinner – Carry the liquid to a boil then decrease the warmth to about medium excessive so it’s simmering energetically however not wildly boiling. Prepare dinner for quarter-hour, stirring each 2 minutes at first then each minute for the final 5 minutes to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot. You would possibly discover that you must decrease the warmth in the direction of the top whether it is getting caught to the pot.
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Easy methods to inform it’s prepared – When the liquid has been largely absorbed by the pasta – however it is going to nonetheless appear somewhat too soupy – the pasta must be simply carried out, ie al dente. This implies it’s not overly mushy however there isn’t any arduous uncooked raw pasta inside.
A little bit too soupy is nice. Pasta absorbs liquid at an incredibly excessive charge. So somewhat too liquidy when it comes off the range is nice as a result of it means the pasta can be completely slippery and saucy quite than dry and stodgy by the point you’re taking the primary chunk.
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Swirl with whipped ricotta – Simply earlier than serving, stir the basil by way of the pasta, then both switch all of the pasta into a big serving bowl or indvidual bowls. Then dollop massive scoops of the ricotta throughout the floor of the pasta and randomly smear it (or let folks do this half themselves). There aren’t any guidelines right here! You would simply put one massive dollop in the midst of the pasta. Then it’s time to dig in!
My mom did a wonderful job mind washing me as a child so I’ve it drilled in my head that it’s not a correct meal and not using a adequate quantity of greens.
I really feel like this recipe is a wee bit brief. The canned tomatoes and onion depend, however it’s not very a lot per particular person.
If you need a fast addition of additional greens, be at liberty to stir in a few handfuls of child spinach or add a grated zucchini and carrot on the identical time you sauté the onion.
Else, make up a fast leafy facet salad or steam some broccoli and toss with a easy salad dressing. It’s all you want – the pasta is juicy and daring on flavour, so you possibly can hold the facet dish easy.
Like to know what you suppose when you give this a go! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 500g/1 lb chicken thigh fillets , cut into small bite size pieces (or breast or tenderloin)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 220g/ 7 oz jar sun-dried tomato stripes in oil , drained (RESERVE OIL) (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp oil from the sun dried tomato jar
- 1 small onion , finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (ok if you don’t have)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine , optional (Note 2)
- 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
- 350g / 12oz fusilli pasta (spirals) , penne, ziti, macaroni, small shells or similar, uncooked
- 1 litre / 4 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium (sub water plus 1/2 tsp salt)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup basil leaves , roughly chopped (can survive without), plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup ricotta (Paesanella is my preferred brand), full fat
- 4 tbsp milk , preferably full fat
- 1/4 cup (packed) finely grated parmesan , sub pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whipped ricotta – Put the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds until it becomes the texture of softly whipped cream. Add milk to loosen, if needed.
- Seal chicken – Heat sun dried tomato oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the chicken. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until the outside is sealed but the inside is still raw. Remove with slotted spoon into a bowl.
- Sauté – In the same pot, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and oil drained sun dried tomatoes (reserve any remaining oil for another use). Cook for 1 minute.
- Deglaze – Add white wine and let it simmer rapidly for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until mostly evaporated.
- Cooking liquid – Add pasta and cooked chicken along with any juices accumulated in the bowl. Stir to coat in all the tasty flavours. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper.
- Cook 15 minutes – Give it a good stir, let it come to a boil then lower the heat to medium high so it's simmering rapidly but not boiling like crazy. Cook for 15 minutes (no lid), stirring every 2 minutes or so at first then more regularly towards the end, so the base doesn't catch. Lower the heat a touch towards the end, if needed.
- How to tell it's done – Most of the liquid should be absorbed and the pasta should be just cooked (al dente), though still a little soupy (that's good, it gets absorbed quickly while serving). Stir in the basil.
- Serve – Transfer into a serving bowl or divide between bowls. Dollop the whipped ricotta on top then randomly smear (or let everyone do that themselves), it will get all melty. Dig in!
Notes
Serves 4 hearty appetites or 5 regular people.
1. Sun dried tomatoes – Adds a great pop of flavour into the sauce plus the chicken gets free flavour by using the oil from the jar to cook it. Recommend getting strips to save yourself from chopping. Substitute – compensate with olives, capers or something similar that’s a bit briny.
Jar size – I use all the sun dried tomatoes in a 220g/7oz jar which is actually 120g/4oz sun dried tomatoes and 100g/3 oz oil (we use 45ml/3 tbsp for cooking). If you have a larger jar or sun dried tomatoes not in oil, use 120g /4 oz of sun dried tomatoes which is 1 cup tightly packed.
2. Wine – I use Chardonnay, though anything not too woody or sweet will work find here, else leftover champagne (flat is fine!), red wine or rose. Non alcoholic – just leave it out.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Loosen with a touch of water. Pasta will freeze ok, but not the whipped ricotta.
Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.
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