If you’re looking for a new hearty dinner to add to your rotations look no further. This pasta bake is epic. It’s the perfect way to feed 5 (4 if you’re really hungry) and it’s no fuss all flavour. You’re gonna love it. Follow me…
Chicken
Alrighty, first things first let’s talk chicken. There’s nothing worse than a yummy pasta bake with chewy/unseasoned chicken. In fact it brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it 😢 If you’re wondering ‘how do I cook chicken before adding pasta?‘ here’s what I recommend:
Room Temp – You want the chicken close to room temp before you fry it. Frying cold meat straight from the fridge causes it to seize up and go chewy. Butterfly the breast – Slicing each breast in half means you’ll be left with 4 even sized breasts, meaning they’ll cook at a more even rate. It also means they’ll cook quicker too. Season – Don’t skimp the seasoning! For this recipe I use dried basil/parsley, garlic powder and salt & pepper. Rest then slice – Let the chicken rest before slicing, just so it can retain its juices.
Can I make the chicken ahead of time?
Yep! Just allow to cool then tightly cover in the fridge overnight, then slice before needed. It won’t be quite as soft/juicy but for convenience reasons it works just fine!
Can I sub leftover/cooked rotisserie chicken?
If you’ve got chicken that needs using up you can sub that, just add the seasoning for the fresh chicken in with the sauce so there’s no flavour wasted. Process shots: add seasoning/oil to chicken (photo 1), rub in (photo 2), add to frying pan (photo 3), fry both sides until golden/cooked through (photo 4).
Tomato Chicken Pasta
When it comes to the pasta sauce, you could go down the road of a more creamy pasta bake, but I much prefer a tomatoey one. The bulk of the sauce comes from tomato passata (pureed tomatoes) but I also love throwing in some sun dried tomatoes, just for an extra punch of flavour.
Al Dente Pasta
For any pasta bake it’s important to slightly undercook the pasta. You want the pasta to still have a slight chew to it before you combine with the sauce and bake, otherwise it’ll come out soft and mushy on the otherside! Process shots: fry onion in sun dried tomato oil (photo 1), add garlic & sun dried tomatoes (photo 2), combine and fry (photo 3), pour in passata (photo 4), add parsley, seasoning and chilli flakes (photo 5), stir and simmer (photo 6), add pasta, pasta water, parmesan and chicken (photo 7), stir to combine (photo 8).
Chicken Pasta Bake
Now here’s where the fun begins. The pasta will taste delicious as it is, but I like to take things up a few notches.
Best cheese for pasta bake?
I like to use a combo of mozzarella and parmesan. The mozzarella gives you that classic gooey cheese pull, whilst the parmesan helps crisp up the top and adds a punch of flavour.
Pasta bake with pesto
My secret weapon for this pasta bake is drizzling basil pesto on top of the pasta and underneath the mozzarella. This adds heaps of flavours and not only goes perfectly with the tomatoey flavour, but also goes perfectly with the mozzarella/parmesan. Don’t skip this! Process shots: add pasta to baking dish (photo 1), drizzle with pesto (photo 2), top with mozzarella (photo 3), sprinkle with parmesan then bake (photo 4).
Can I prep this ahead of time?
I tend to make it fresh, but you can prep ahead of time. Make up until baking then tightly cover and store in the fridge. Bring to room temp before baking (more on this in the recipe card).
Can I reheat leftovers?
Sure! Tightly seal leftovers in the fridge and reheat until the chicken is piping hot again.
What can I serve with chicken pasta bake?
Is it even legal to serve pasta bake (or any pasta for that matter) without garlic bread? For a level up consider my cheesy garlic bread and pesto cheesy garlic bread!
For another easy and delicious chicken pasta recipe check out my Chicken Chorizo Pasta or Chicken Broccoli Pasta! For more similar recipes check out these beauties too:
Pasta Bake Recipes
Meatball Pasta Bake Broccoli Pasta Bake Taco Pasta Bake Veggie Pasta Bake Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken pasta bake shall we?!
How to make Chicken Pasta Bake (Full Recipe & Video)
If you loved this chicken pasta bake recipe then be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
