Pizza night usually means a delivery app, a 45-minute wait, and a box that never has enough pepperoni. This one-pot pizza pasta skips all of that. Penne cooks directly in seasoned marinara — the pasta drinks up the sauce while it cooks, so there’s no draining and no bland pasta — then crisped turkey pepperoni, sweet peppers, onions, and mushrooms pile on top under a blanket of melted mozzarella. Thirty minutes, one pot, done.
Why you’ll love it
- One pot, no draining. The penne cooks directly in the marinara — this is explicitly what keeps the whole thing at 30 minutes, and the starches thicken the sauce as they go.
- Crisped turkey pepperoni. Searing the pepperoni first is the flavor enabler: it renders a little fat, crisps at the edges, and seasons the whole pot.
- ~33g protein per serving (estimated), thanks to turkey pepperoni, mozzarella, and the chicken added to the pot. A pizza-night dinner that eats like a proper meal.
- Crowd-pleaser by design. Kids recognize every flavor; adults get the crispy edges and real ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 oz turkey pepperoni, halved (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 oz penne, uncooked
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving
Equipment
A large deep skillet with lid (12-inch) or a Dutch oven, and a wooden spoon or spatula.
Instructions
- Crisp the pepperoni (4 minutes).. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey pepperoni and cook, stirring, until the edges crisp and curl, about 3–4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside — leave the rendered fat in the pot.
- Sear the chicken (5 minutes).. Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Add to the pot in a single layer and sear until lightly golden on one side, about 4–5 minutes. It doesn’t need to cook through here — it finishes in the sauce.
- Soften the vegetables (5 minutes).. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; cook until softened and the mushrooms release their liquid, about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more, until fragrant. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Add sauce, broth, and penne.. Pour in the marinara and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the uncooked penne. Bring to a lively simmer — the pasta cooks directly in the sauce, which is the one-pot enabler that keeps this at 30 minutes and means no draining.
- Simmer covered (11 minutes).. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the penne is just al dente and the sauce has thickened, about 11 minutes. Stir twice to keep the pasta from sticking. Return the chicken to the pot (it should already be cooked through — see doneness cues below).
- Melt the cheese (3 minutes).. Uncover, stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan until melted. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the crisped pepperoni over the top, cover, and cook 2–3 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles. Shower with torn basil and serve.
Doneness cues: Chicken must reach 165°F internally — the simmer in step 5 finishes it, but check the largest piece if you’re unsure. The penne is done when just al dente; it keeps absorbing sauce as it sits, so pull it when it still has a little bite. The dish should look thick but saucy when you take it off the heat.
30-Minute One-Pot Pizza Pasta with Turkey Pepperoni
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey pepperoni and cook, stirring, until the edges crisp and curl, about 3–4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside — leave the rendered fat in the pot.
- Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Add to the pot in a single layer and sear until lightly golden on one side, about 4–5 minutes. It doesn’t need to cook through here — it finishes in the sauce.
- Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; cook until softened and the mushrooms release their liquid, about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more, until fragrant. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Pour in the marinara and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the uncooked penne. Bring to a lively simmer — the pasta cooks directly in the sauce, which is the one-pot enabler that keeps this at 30 minutes and means no draining.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the penne is just al dente and the sauce has thickened, about 11 minutes. Stir twice to keep the pasta from sticking. Return the chicken to the pot (it should already be cooked through — see doneness cues below).
- Uncover, stir in 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan until melted. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the crisped pepperoni over the top, cover, and cook 2–3 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles. Shower with torn basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition note
Protein is estimated at about 33g per serving, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients — this is an estimate, not a lab analysis. Actual values vary by brand and preparation.
Substitutions and tips
- Skip the chicken for a vegetarian version — just bump the mushrooms to 12 oz. The protein drops, but everything else works the same.
- Any short pasta works: rigatoni, ziti, or rotini swap in 1:1. Keep the liquid amounts the same and start checking for doneness a minute early.
- Make it spicier: use spicy turkey pepperoni and keep the full 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Don’t skip crisping the pepperoni — it’s the flavor enabler. Straight-from-the-bag pepperoni stays chewy and the pot misses out on the rendered flavor.
- Reheating leftovers: the pasta keeps drinking sauce overnight, so add a splash of marinara or broth when reheating to loosen it back up.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth or marinara, stirring, until steaming (165°F); or microwave in 60-second bursts, stirring between. Freezing is not recommended — cooked pasta turns mushy after thawing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use regular pepperoni instead of turkey? Yes — regular pepperoni crisps even faster, so shave a minute off step 1. It renders more fat, so you may want to spoon off a tablespoon before searing the chicken.
Does the pasta really cook in the sauce? Yes. The penne absorbs the seasoned broth and marinara as it cooks, which is exactly why this works in one pot — the starch released thickens the sauce into a glossy coating instead of a watery one. Just stir twice so nothing sticks.
Is this good for meal prep? It reheats well for lunches (add a splash of marinara when reheating), but eat it within 4 days and don’t freeze it — the pasta texture suffers.
How do I keep the pasta from sticking to the pot? Stir twice during the covered simmer in step 5, keep the heat at medium-low (not high), and make sure the lid stays on so there’s enough steam and liquid for the pasta to cook in.
More one-pot pasta nights
For another one-pot pasta night, our 25-Minute Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is a reader favorite. If you like pizza flavors in a skillet, try our One-Pot Sausage & Peppers Pasta. More weeknight Italian: our Creamy Garlic Chicken & Spinach Pasta comes together in 30 minutes.