Picture this: it’s late Sunday afternoon, you slide a bubbling Chicken & Pasta Bake onto the table, golden-brown mozzarella stretching in long, gooey ribbons, while everyone wonders how you conjured “all-day” comfort food in the time it takes to set out plates. No simmering sauce for hours, no endless chopping, just simple, stick-to-your-ribs goodness, all in about 40 minutes.
Nobody will ever know you didn’t spend all day Sunday making the sauce and baking the chicken! Love that this is such a quick and quintessential comfort food recipe!
Ingredients Notes
Grocery List: Rotisserie chicken, Pasta, Jar of Marinara sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning mix.
- Short pasta – While spiral pasta (Rotini) was used in this recipe, any variety of short dried pasta can be used. Gluten free pasta can also be used.
- Marinara sauce – Use either a store-bought marinara sauce or a homemade version.
- Shredded chicken – The chicken from a cooked store-bought rotisserie chicken was used in this recipe, however you could also cook and shred chicken yourself. Also perfect use for leftover chicken from this Roasted Sheet Pan Chicken & Vegetables.
- Italian seasoning – Use a store-bought Italian seasoning or a homemade version by mixing together.
- Mozzarella and Parmesan – The cheeses in this recipe was shredded from a block of cheeses, however you can make this recipe even faster by using the pre-shredded versions.
Step-by-Step Process Photos
1.) Cook the pasta, 2.) Mix the sauce, 3.) Combine sauce and pasta, 4. ) Transfer to baking dish, 5.) Top with Cheese, 6.) Bake.
Ta-Dah! See how easy this is, perfect comfort food dinner for one of those busy Sunday!
Chicken and Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Step by Step Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the pasta according to the packet directions. Drain. Do not rinse and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the marinara sauce, shredded cooked chicken, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes in a large mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Once the pasta has been cooked and drained, add to the marinara sauce mixture. Stir gently until well combined.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Garnish the casserole with the chopped fresh parsley, if using, before serving.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is an estimate and not guaranteed, and that the reader is responsible for verifying ingredients for allergies and dietary needs
Notes
- Cover the casserole with a sheet of foil if the casserole is coloring too quickly before it has heated through.
- For best results cook the pasta until just al-dente, as it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Chopped or grated vegetables could be added to the sauce of this casserole. Simply increase the baking time as needed to ensure the vegetables have cooked through.
- This is a great recipe for making use of leftover cooked shredded chicken.
- Makes a great meal on its own, however it could also be served with a fresh side salad and/or crusty bread.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat until piping hot using the microwave or covered in the oven at 325 degrees F.
To Freeze: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and can be frozen for for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating according to the above directions.
Recipe Cost Estimate for Chicken Pasta Bake
| Ingredient | Quantity Used | Estimated Price | Cost for Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried short pasta | 1 lb | $1.25 / 16-oz bag | $1.25 |
| Marinara sauce | 4 cups (32 oz) | $3.00 / 32-oz jar | $3.00 |
| Cooked shredded chicken | 2 cups (≈ 8 oz) | $3.49 / lb raw → ≈ $2.60 | $2.60 |
| Italian seasoning | 2 tsp | $2.00 / 1-oz jar | $0.08 |
| Onion powder | 1 tsp | $2.00 / 1-oz jar | $0.04 |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | $2.00 / 1-oz jar | $0.04 |
| Red-pepper flakes | ½ tsp | $4.00 / 1-oz jar | $0.04 |
| Salt & pepper | Pinch each | Pantry staples | $0.02 |
| Shredded mozzarella | 2 cups (8 oz) | $2.50 / 8-oz bag | $2.50 |
| Shredded Parmesan | ½ cup (2 oz) | $2.99 / 6-oz bag → ≈ $1.00 | $1.00 |
| Total Recipe Cost | $10.57 |
Note: Prices vary by region, brand, and current sales. If you grab loss-leader pasta for $0.89 or snag a rotisserie chicken on markdown, the total drops even lower.
