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Chicken Caesar Pasta (One Pot!)

This One Pot Chicken Caesar Pasta recipe is so easy to make! Angel hair pasta and blackened chicken are tossed in a creamy Parmesan sauce with a hint of Caesar dressing, lemons, and capers.

Be sure to serve this with a side of my Garlic Bread with Cheese!

A spoon scooping up angel hair in a creamy Caesar sauce from a pot with capers and lemons.

Chicken Caesar Pasta

So, the idea of Chicken Caesar Pasta is extremely enticing.  That being said, the balance of flavors, amount of sauce, and the consistency of the sauce is key in order to make it work without it being overpowering.

I recently saw a huge recipe website post this recipe concept using 2 cups of Caesar dressing. Which basically means it’s pasta drenched in Caesar dressing. (Not my jam.)

I put a lighter spin on this idea with more balanced flavors and a one pot method.

I’m personally obsessed with Chicken Caesar Salad, so I had to make this perfect. Let’s do it.


How to Make it

See recipe card at the bottom of post for full ingredient quantities and instructions

Season and Marinate the Chicken. Slice the chicken in half to create thinner pieces of equal size. Season with lemon pepper seasoning and marinate in Caesar dressing for 20+ minutes.

Seasoned chicken next to a bag of chicken marinating in a Ziploc bag.

Sear the chicken, sauté the garlic. Sear the chicken  for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and partially blackened. Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside on a plate. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Blackened chicken in a pot next to a pot with minced garlic.

Whisk in the chicken broth, milk, Caesar dressing, and capers. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and twist the noodles into the pan as they soften. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

A pot of cream sauce with uncooked pasta in it next to a pot of cooked angel hair pasta.

Add the Parmesan Cheese, chicken, and lemon juice. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the pasta and gently mix until melted and combined. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the lemon juice. Stir to combine. Garnish with fresh parsley and cracked pepper and serve.

A pot of angel hair pasta in a cream sauce topped with parmesan cheese next to a pot of creamy pasta topped with grilled chicken.

Using Cooked or Rotisserie Chicken

2 cups of cooked chicken can be mixed in at the end once the pasta is cooked. No need to marinate or sear the chicken first.

Storage

  • Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • You can also freeze it and store it for up to 3 months.

A white bowl filled with Chicken Caesar Pasta with chicken, capers, and lemons

What to Serve with Chicken Caesar Pasta

A close up view of angel hair pasta in a creamy Caesar sauce with grilled chicken, capers, and lemons.

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Chicken Caesar Pasta (One Pot!)

4.98 from 41 ratings
This One Pot Chicken Caesar Pasta recipe is so easy to make! Angel hair pasta and blackened chicken are tossed in a creamy Parmesan sauce with a hint of Caesar dressing, lemons, and capers.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup Caesar salad dressing, divided
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 1 large
  • 3 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 8 oz. angel hair pasta, equal to 1/2 lb.
  • 1 Tablespoon capers
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Freshly cracked pepper
  • Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Slice each chicken breast in half to create two thinner pieces of equal size. Season each side with lemon pepper seasoning.
  • Place the chicken in a freezer Ziploc bag and add ¾ cup of Caesar dressing (save ¼ cup for the pasta sauce). Coat the chicken with the dressing and seal. Refrigerate for 20 minutes (or longer if time allows.)
  • Meanwhile, shred the Parmesan cheese and set it aside. It should be at room temp when added to the sauce.
  • Take ¼ cup of the Caesar dressing and whisk it with ¾ cup milk. Set it aside, it should also come down to nearly room temp. Don’t worry if it’s not completely uniform in consistency.
  • Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large high-walled skillet or dutch oven.
  • Add the marinated chicken and let it sear, undisrupted, for 4-5 minutes per side. Decrease heat to medium if oil begins to splatter.
  • Set the chicken on a plate. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then cut it into strips. Transfer any juice left on the plate back to the pot.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the minced garlic. Heat for one minute.
  • Add the chicken broth, and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Slowly stir in the milk/Caesar dressing. Bring to a boil.
  • Add the angel hair pasta and use kitchen tongs to gently bend the noodles into the pan as they soften. (If preferred, you can also break them in half.)
  • Let the pasta simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the noodles don't stick together.
  • Once the pasta is softened and cooked through, add the capers and decrease heat to low.
  • Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, use tongs to toss and combine. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the lemon juice. Stir to combine.
  • Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Add freshly cracked pepper and serve.

Notes

Note: Be sure to use angel hair. Substituting regular spaghetti noodles requires more liquid and cooking time. If you only have spaghetti, plan on using an extra 1/2 cup chicken broth, an extra 1/2 cup milk, and an extra 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Caesar Dressing Recommendation:
  • My homemade Caesar Dressing is excellent. Otherwise I recommend Marie’s Caesar salad dressing found in the refrigerated aisle in the produce section.

Serve this with my Garlic Bread with Cheese.

Using Rotisserie or Leftover Chicken:
2 cups of cooked chicken can be mixed in at the end once the pasta is cooked. No need to marinate or sear the chicken first.

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 1102mg, Potassium: 758mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 314IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 248mg, Iron: 2mg
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127 comments on “Chicken Caesar Pasta (One Pot!)”

  1. I just made this with spaghetti squash and it was delish! This is a keeper!

  2. When I tell u this pasta recipe was so flavorful!! Omg everyone kept saying what are u cooking it smells soo good .. when I took the first bite I was so shocked it was amazing 

    • Hey Sarah! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to leave this nice review. It’s funny, my mom made this recipe yesterday too and sent me a pic of the finished product on her phone. 🙂 So happy that you enjoyed it too!! -Stephanie

  3. The chicken Caesar pasta is very tasty. My husband was not sure he would like it but he loved it! Marie’s caesar dressing combined with the blackened chicken and pasta was amazing! We will make that again for sure!

  4. This pasta is delicious! Very tasty, loved the capers and lemon! Great recipe!

  5. This recipe is BOMB. I could eat it everyday (and have this week). Has anyone tried air frying the chicken instead?

    • Hey Chelsea! I’m so happy that you enjoy this recipe!! I think you could probably make the chicken in the air fryer, although I haven’t tried it myself. I used this recipe as a guide which indicates to cook marinated chicken for 20 minutes at 360°F (182°C), then turn the pieces over and cook an additional 15 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

      I know that my air fryer runs pretty hot so I would need to adjust this to a lower temperature so just keep your eye on it while it’s cooking and adjust the heat as needed! 🙂

      • I was so unsure of this recipe just because of how bad I am at cooking. But when I took my first bite, I was shocked! So delicious!!! I was so proud of myself! Thank you for using simple ingredients that I could find and use easily. Thanks for helping me find my confidence.

      • Hey Rhe! I’m SO happy to hear that you enjoyed the Chicken Caesar Pasta recipe, and even happier that it gave you a confidence boost in the kitchen, that makes my day, thank you so much for taking the time to come leave a review! 🙂 -Stephanie

  6. I haven’t made this dish yet, but would love to. Have you tried it with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles? My daughter and I have to watch carbs so looking for alternatives. It looks so good I know we would love it. Thanks.

    • Hey Nickie! I love the idea of trying this with zucchini noodles but where this is a One Pot meal, the sauce is based upon the pasta noodles absorbing a portion of the liquid, which won’t happen with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. In fact, this resource indicates: “when you add zucchini to liquid, the zucchini doesn’t release as much moisture, because it’s floating in moisture! Without getting too technical, the broth or soup liquid will keep the zucchini firm. However, moisture release is inevitable and does happen, so it will thin out the broth, diluting it with water.”

      So unfortunately I don’t think this recipe is ideal for those alternatives, I think it would be a bit soupy. I wish I could advise otherwise!

  7. Gosh! This dish is SO Scrumptious! Another succulent pasta dish added to my recipe binder. Thank you, Stephanie! Cooked for dinner tonight and am already looking forward to the next time I make this. Because I didn’t want to poke around the grocery store for anchovies, I did make this with Marie’s Caesar salad dressing as Stephanie recommends in her notes. No regrets, it was delicious. But! Will certainly try with her homemade Caesar dressing the next time I feel like putting in a little extra effort 😉

    This recipe is sure to please anyone who is a fan of Caesar salad and/or pasta dishes in general. The sauce is plenty flavorful and isn’t too heavy which is an added bonus (my stomach thanks you!) I always appreciate the One-pot recipes as they make cleanup a breeze and it gives me the opportunity to use my cast iron cookware (Yay!) I sent my best friend a picture of the finished product and she has already asked me for the recipe. Did not hesitate to pass along!

    • Heeeyyyy my friend! I read this comment last night and it made my night! You are TOO kind and I’m SO happy that you enjoyed the flavors in this recipe. I’ve seen similar recipes use as much as TWO CUPS of Caesar salad dressing, I can’t even imagine it. I wanted to make sure this one had just the right touch of Caesar flavor so your feedback means a lot! Thank you so much, you take care!!! -Stephanie

  8. This was such a delicious recipe! I’ve never tried making Chicken Caesar Pasta before and wasn’t sure how it would come out but my whole family absolutely loved it! It was so easy to make too, definitely adding this to our regular rotation.

    • Hi Susan, that is so great to hear, I’m so happy that you decided to give it a try and that you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! -Stephanie

  9. How would i adapt this recipe if using precooked shredded chicken

    • Hi Louise! I would mix in 2 cups of the cooked chicken right at the end, after the pasta is cooked. You can skip the references about marinating and searing it first! 🙂 I’d love to know how it turns out for you! -Stephanie

  10. I absolutely love your site and recipes! I use to be a busy Mother of 3 and now I’m a busy Grandma of 4! Thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes!

    • Hey Kim!! That just totally made my day to hear that you love my site and recipes! You’re the best!! A busy grandma of FOUR, that is amazing!!! I really hope you enjoy this pasta recipe- and thank you so much for your kind words!! -Stephanie

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