Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake
Servings 8 people
This Marry Me Chicken Pasta Casserole is loaded with tender chicken, penne pasta, and creamy cheese sauce! Vibrant sundried tomatoes, sweet basil, and spices round out the flavor in this simple comfort food recipe!
Ingredients
Pasta
- 4 cups penne pasta or pasta of choice
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 1 (16 oz) jar alfredo sauce we prefer Bertolli d'italia or Rao's Homemade
- 1 (8.5 oz) jar julienne-cut sundried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese see notes
- ½ cup pasta water reserved from cooking the pasta
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste We like Gourmet Garden
- 1 ounce fresh basil leaves roughly chopped, plus more for topping
- 1½ teaspoons paprika plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella ball see notes
Instructions
Pasta
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the 4 cups penne pasta according to package directions for al dente. Use a heat-proof measuring cup to remove ½ cup pasta water and set aside. Strain the pasta and set aside until ready to use.
Chicken
- While the pasta is cooking, cut 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast into cubes and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon paprika. (You can also cook the chicken in thin cutlets and chop up after cooking if preferred).
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir frequently until cooked through and starting to brown.
Sauce
- Once the pasta and chicken are done cooking, transfer them to a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
- Add in the 1 (16 oz) jar alfredo sauce, the 1 (8.5 oz) jar julienne-cut sundried tomatoes in oil (including oil), 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, reserved ½ cup pasta water (you can add the water to the sauce jar first and cover and shake to loosen up any remaining sauce), 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, 1½ teaspoons paprika, ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated. If it's easier, you can mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or in the pot used to cook the pasta before adding it to the baking dish.
- Shred or crumble the 8 ounces fresh mozzarella ball and sprinkle it over the top of the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top of the cheese is melted and bubbly and some spots are starting to brown.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.
Notes
- I recommend using a plain alfredo sauce for this recipe as opposed to garlic or other flavored. You can use your favorite brand, we prefer Bertolli d'italia or Rao's Homemade.
- You can use pre-shredded parmesan cheese or shred your own. However, I highly recommend shredding fresh mozzarella for the top for the best texture and meltiness.
- Make sure that the sundried tomatoes are julienne-sliced. Otherwise, you'll need to slice them. You'll also want to chop up the basil. Having smaller pieces of these ingredients allows their flavor to be distributed better in the dish.
- Because this recipe uses jarred alfredo sauce, this makes for great leftovers with minimal breaking to the sauce. Simple reheat in the microwave.
- We have doubled this for large groups and baked it in a 10x14x4-inch aluminum foil pan.
- I recommend using small pasta like penne or rigatoni for this recipe. If you'd like to use fettuccine, I recommend breaking the pasta in half before cooking, making it easier to serve.
- If using sea salt or table salt in this recipe, reduce the salt by half to start.
- Once everything is mixed together before baking, give the sauce a taste and add more salt, pepper, and paprika as desired. The flavor can vary depending on the brand of sauce and tomatoes and it may require more seasoning than stated above.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 2mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/marry-me-chicken-pasta-casserole/