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
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.
