Creamy and cheesy One Pot Alfredo is an absolutely spoonful of flavor. It's not too rich; just incredibly delicious and oh so easy. Soft pasta, sautéed veggies, and a creamy sauce make for the best combo. I make this and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner because it's just that good.
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About this Pasta
We love a one pot meal. Less dishes less effort. But minimal effort doesn't mean minimal flavor. This One Pot Alfredo is creamy and quite literally dreamy. I made this once and my boyfriend, Jack, immediately after asked when we were having it again.
For simplicity's sake, this recipe uses jarred alfredo sauce. But, we take it to the next level with the addition of sautéed onions, mushrooms, and spinach. We're also adding parmesan, because no pasta is complete without it in my opinion.
This One Pot Alfredo is a chicken Alfredo, using slices of baked juicy chicken for a hearty dose of protein, but if you're not a meat eater you can definitely leave it out. One thing I'm confident about though, is whoever you're sharing this dish with will be begging for more.
But if Alfredo isn't your favorite, check out this this Creamy & Healthy One Pot Pasta that's still creamy and pasta-y but less cheese forward or this Pizza Gnocchi Bake, which is so hearty and delicious. There's just something so comforting about creamy pasta dishes you know?!
Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta - I used gluten free Banza chickpea pasta but any type of noodle/pasta would work for this Alfredo recipe.
- Alfredo Sauce - My go-to jar of Alfredo sauce is the Classico Four Cheese Alfredo that's available on Amazon or at Kroger and Publix usually. Feel free to to use any Alfredo you'd like or if you're feeling real fancy, make a sauce from scratch!
- Chicken - I prefer using precooked chicken because it makes preparation much quicker. You could also use a rotisserie chicken or make my Best Ever Grilled Chicken if you've got raw chicken breasts around.
- Veggies - This recipe includes onion, mushrooms, and spinach for extra nutrition and texture. You can substitute + add other veggies in your fridge, too.
- Grated Parmesan - Adds extra salty flavor and makes for a super creamy, melty cheese sauce.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
The base for a tasty pasta alfredo is simple: noodles + alfredo. After that, everything else is up to your own personal taste! For instance, I use chicken as my protein and add in vegetables for an extra boost of healthy but there are so many more options.
- To keep this pasta Alfredo gluten free make sure to use a chickpea pasta like Banza, a brown rice pasta, or even a lentil blend from Barilla.
- Instead of chicken try making this with grilled steak tips, ground turkey, chicken sausage, or even a vegan option like roasted tofu / tempeh.
- I prefer the convenience of a jarred alfredo sauce but if you're feeling extra ambitious, try making one from scratch!
- Use whatever vegetables are in your fridge or that you enjoy the most. A few other veggies that I've tried in this dish are carrots, red peppers, zucchini, broccoli, and peas.
- Use spices like garlic, turmeric, paprika, or red pepper flakes to add an extra kick of flavor to the sautéed vegetables.
- Add fresh herbs like parsley, basil, chives, or dill for extra flavor + as a vibrant garnish.
How to Make This Recipe
1. If you’re using raw chicken, you need to cook it before adding in any other ingredients. I usually make it as my Best Grilled Chicken Recipe or as an alternative: bake seasoned chicken breasts on a baking sheet at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.
2. Heat a 6qt sauce pot on medium heat. Let olive oil sizzle, then add in chopped white onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add in cooked chicken and spinach. Stir.
3. Pour in both jars of Alfredo sauce. To get the rest of the sauce on the sides of the jar out, add ¼ cup of water to each jar. Put the lid back on and shake and pour into the the pot. Then, add in 1 box of chickpea noodles. Make sure the sauce is covering the noodles. Cover the pot, leaving on medium-low heat. Stir every 5 minutes.
4. Cook for about 20 minutes - until the noodles are soft. Stir in ½ cup of shaved parmesan. a d Serve hot with extra parm on top - you are going to LOVE it!!!
Recipe FAQs
This One Pot Alfredo stores GREAT as leftovers. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days and reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each to avoid any cold pockets.
It's likely your heat is too high. Be sure your on medium-low and don't forget to stir the pasta every five minutes or so. And give it a GOOD stir so what's on the bottom of the pot makes it to the top.
I like to use pre-cooked chicken for this recipe to make assembly quick and easy. You can buy it cooked or use a rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself. You can also start with raw chicken and grill it using this Best Grilled Chicken Recipe or bake seasoned chicken breasts on a baking sheet at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.
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Recipe
One Pot Alfredo
Equipment
- 6 Quart Sauce Pot
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 1 box Banza chickpea noodles, 8oz
- 2 15 oz Jars Alfredo sauce, I used Classico Four Cheese Alfredo
- 2 cups sliced chicken
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup white vidalia onion
- ¼ cup mushrooms
- ½ cup spinach
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, optional
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- If you’re using raw chicken, you'll first need to prepare that. I usually make my Best Grilled Chicken Recipe or as an alternative: bake seasoned chicken breasts on a baking sheet at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.
- Heat a 6qt sauce pot on medium heat. Let olive oil sizzle, then add in chopped white onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
- Sauté for 5 minutes. Then add in cooked chicken and spinach. Stir.
- Pour in both jars of alfredo sauce. To get the rest of the sauce on the jar, add ¼ cup of water to each jar. Put the lid back on and shake. Pour the rest of the water/sauce into the the pot. Total: ½ cup of water.
- Then add in noodles. Make sure the sauce is completely covering the noodles. Cover the pot, leaving on medium-low heat. Stir every 5 minutes.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, until the noodles are soft.
- Stir in ½ cup of shaved parmesan.
- Serve hot with extra parm on top and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Chelsea Coretti says
Go RUN to make this recipe ASAP. And yeah, make sure you add all those veggies cause you can’t even taste them, but you’ll feel even better eating a heaping serving cause there are so many veggies. I only had to cook the noodles for ten minutes, and it was perfect.
Courtney Paige says
The basil alfredo sounds incredible!! Thank you so much for the kind review, Chelsea 🙂
Hayley Carlson says
I made this dish for my family, and my fiancé said it was the best dish I’ve ever made! It was so delicious!!! I’m excited to make more of it in the future 💕
Michelle Gimbutis says
Made this for my fam tonight and they loved it - bummed there were no leftovers haha, but thrilled they loved it so much!
Courtney Paige says
LOVE to hear that, Michelle!!
Sydney Van Acker says
have never had a recipe this easy be SO delicious. The whole fam will definitely love this one.
Courtney Paige says
Oh my gosh this recipe is divine!
Jen Boudreau says
I love the one pot recipes! Very easy to make and to clean up 🙂 I liked the chickpea pasta in this recipe more than I thought I would and swapped the chicken for shrimp because of Lent. Turned out great!