This creamy Rooster Pasta Bake recipe is simple weeknight consolation meals! It’s created from tacky pasta that’s loaded with juicy hen items in zesty tomato sauce and baked till scrumptious and bubbly.
Tacky Rooster Pasta Bake Recipe
This Rooster Pasta Bake ticks all of the bins: Is it tacky? Sure. Full of protein? Sure. Straightforward to make on weeknights, when dinner inspiration is operating low? YES! This casserole is made with creamy penne pasta topped with juicy hen coated in zesty tomatoes with spinach, and three sorts of melted cheese. Image a wealthy and gooey baked mac and cheese topped with zesty mozzarella hen in tomato sauce, baked till all the things is bubbly and golden. It’s the very best. If the viral baked feta pasta is something to go off of, pasta bakes goal to please. And this low-effort, big-flavor hen pasta bake does not disappoint.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Rooster Pasta Recipe
- Taste-packed. Creamy pasta, tender hen in tomato sauce, and loads of cheese fill this pasta bake with all types of comforting, Italian-inspired flavors.
- Fast. Have this hen pasta bake oven-ready in quarter-hour or much less. Who doesn’t love an easy-peasy, tacky pasta on a busy weeknight?
- Casserole-style. Baking pasta like a casserole makes it tremendous make-ahead-friendly. You possibly can assemble or bake the pasta forward of time and retailer or freeze it for straightforward reheating. Whats up, last-minute dinners!
- Customizable. Like several good casserole recipe, this hen pasta bake is completely DIY-able. Change up the flavors and components any method that you simply’d like.
The right way to Make a Rooster Pasta Bake
Easy components and large taste is the secret with this hen pasta bake. Beneath is a fast overview of the components and steps concerned.
Recipe Elements
- Pasta: Raw penne pasta or one other quick tubular pasta works greatest for a pasta bake. Different good choices are ziti or rigatoni. These varieties actually cling to all that scrumptious sauce!
- Cheese: Freshly grated cheddar cheese melts down completely to create a deliciously ooey-gooey sauce. In the meantime, you’ll want shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese so as to add over high of the pasta earlier than baking.
- Butter and Milk: Unsalted butter and any milk of your alternative, to mix with the cheese for the sauce.
- Rooster: You need to use boneless skinless hen breasts or thighs, reduce into even-sized cubes.
- Spinach and Garlic: Contemporary or frozen child spinach brings a pop of inexperienced together with some further vitamin, whereas minced garlic boosts the flavors of the sauce.
- Tomato Sauce: Select your favourite jarred tomato sauce from the shop, or you should utilize selfmade tomato sauce.
- Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper
Ought to You Pre-cook Pasta for a Pasta Bake?
Sure! Boiling the pasta earlier than combining it with the sauce ensures that it’s tender and cooked by way of earlier than baking. This manner, all of the pasta must concentrate on is turning into extra-hot and tacky within the oven! One factor to bear in mind when pre-cooking the pasta for a pasta bake is, don’t overcook the pasta at first. Boil it till it’s al dente or simply beneath in order that it doesn’t turn into too delicate and mushy after baking. Try the part additional on for extra recipe ideas.
Instructions
- Put together the pasta. Start by cooking your pasta al dente based on the package deal instructions. Mix the drained pasta in a pot with shredded cheddar, butter, and milk, after which switch the pasta and cheese sauce to a greased casserole dish.
- Prepare dinner the hen. Saute the hen items in a skillet with olive oil till cooked by way of and tender.
- Mix. Subsequent, wilt the spinach in a pan with garlic, add the cooked hen, after which pour over the tomato sauce. Stir all the things collectively because it heats by way of, then spoon the hen over the ready pasta.
- Add cheese and bake. Sprinkle over grated mozzarella and parmesan, then bake the hen pasta at 375ºF for 15-20 minutes. The casserole must be effervescent on the edges. Afterward, let the pasta bake stand on the counter for a couple of minutes earlier than digging in.
Suggestions for the Finest Rooster Pasta Bake
A pasta bake is a phenomenal factor, isn’t it? You don’t must put in a complete lot of time or effort for this recipe to end up scrumptious. The next are some fast ideas that I picked up whereas recipe testing, in case you discover them useful.
- Use freshly grated cheese each time attainable. Grating the cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan recent from the block yields the silkiest sauce and meltiest outcomes. Pre-grated packaged cheese incorporates anti-caking brokers that stop the cheese from melting as easily.
- Prepare dinner the pasta al dente. Just be sure you don’t boil the pasta for too lengthy earlier than you assemble your casserole (see above). Overcooked pasta will proceed to cook dinner within the oven and dangers the pasta bake turning into mushy.
- Let the pasta bake relaxation. Not solely does it let the piping scorching insides calm down just a little, however resting additionally helps the casserole arrange in order that it’s simpler to scoop and serve.
Why Is My Pasta Bake Watery?
There are just a few explanation why your hen pasta bake could also be a bit runny or watery. One could possibly be that the tomato sauce you’re utilizing was chilly from the fridge and have become thinner because it warmed within the oven. One more reason could possibly be that the hen wasn’t fully cooked by way of within the pan earlier than it was added to the pasta and leaked some juices into the baked dish. In any case, letting your pasta bake relaxation after it’s out of the oven offers the casserole an opportunity to thicken up just a little. Don’t skip that step!
Recipe Variations
Pasta bakes are great for customizing, so you possibly can actually adapt this recipe nonetheless you’d like! For further crunch, we love sprinkling the highest of this hen pasta bake with seasoned breadcrumbs. Or, you possibly can attempt a number of of those simple concepts:
- Completely different cheeses. Mess around with completely different cheeses within the sauce. Rather than or along with common cheddar, attempt Pepper Jack for some warmth, Monterrey Jack for a milder taste, or Gruyere for those who’re feeling a lil’ fancy.
- Seasoning. To provide your hen bites much more taste, season them with the very best hen seasoning earlier than you cook dinner them.
- Spicy. Stir chilies or crushed pink pepper flakes into the tomato sauce for a spicer, arrabbiata vibe.
- Meat sauce. Be happy to make use of your most popular meat sauce or bolognese sauce instead of the tomato sauce on this recipe for a good heartier dish.
- Extra veggies. You possibly can load up your pasta bake with much more veggies and greens. Strive diced sauteed carrots and zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and kale.
- Shredded hen. Use shredded hen instead of the hen items. You possibly can even use a rotisserie hen from the shop and shred it!
- Vegetarian. Making this recipe vegetarian is as simple as buying and selling out the hen together with your alternative of plant-based different! Strive meaty oyster mushrooms, cubed butternut squash, or sauteed broccolini.
Serving Options
This creamy pasta bake is an all-in-one dinner, however you possibly can completely spherical out your meal together with your favourite sides. Listed here are some simple recipes to serve alongside a baked hen pasta:
Make-Forward, Storage, and Reheating
- Make forward. Questioning for those who can cook dinner this pasta bake from frozen? The reply is sure! To make forward and freeze, wrap the baked and cooled pasta tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze it for as much as 1 month. Everytime you’re prepared, unwrap the pasta casserole, cowl it with foil, and cook dinner it proper from frozen at 375ºF for about 1 hour. Alternatively, you possibly can defrost the pasta bake within the fridge in a single day and bake it for about 45 minutes.
- Fridge. Retailer any leftovers of this hen pasta bake hermetic within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, heat parts within the microwave or within the oven. You could wish to sprinkle over a little bit of water when reheating to assist loosen the pasta up once more.
- Freezer. Freeze leftovers hermetic in a freezer-safe container for as much as 1 month. Reheat within the oven or within the microwave till scorching all through.
Extra Straightforward Rooster Pasta Recipes
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Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a casserole dish with baking spray, put aside.
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Prepare dinner pasta based on the instructions on the field.
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Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in cheese, butter, and 1/4 cup milk (add extra milk if wanted). Proceed to stir till clean and properly mixed.
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Switch the tacky pasta to the baking dish and put aside.
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Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet and cook dinner over medium warmth. Season the hen with salt and pepper and add the hen to the skillet; cook dinner till achieved, about 6 to eight minutes, stirring sometimes. Set hen apart.
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Return the skillet over medium warmth and warmth up the remaining olive oil. Add spinach and minced garlic and season with salt and pepper; cook dinner 2 minutes or till spinach is wilted, stirring steadily.
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Add cooked hen to the spinach and stir within the tomato sauce; cook dinner over medium-high warmth for a minute or till heated by way of.
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Spoon the hen combination over the pasta contained in the baking dish and blend all of it collectively. Prime with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
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Bake within the oven for 15 to twenty minutes or till bubbly.
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Take away from oven. Let stand 5 to eight minutes earlier than serving.
- Cheese: If attainable, use freshly grated cheese for a smoother, meltier texture, as pre-grated variations include anti-caking brokers. You may also attempt the pasta with completely different cheeses like Pepper Jack, Monterrey Jack, or Gruyere.
- Milk: You possibly can add kind of milk, relying on how creamy you’d prefer it to be. Additionally, you should utilize heavy cream, half & half, and even cream cheese (at room temperature) as a substitute of milk.
- Pasta Preparation: Prepare dinner pasta al dente – about 6 to 7 minutes – to keep away from mushiness because it continues cooking within the oven.
- Resting Time: Permit the pasta bake to relaxation after baking for simpler serving and higher consistency.
- Watery Points: A runny pasta bake might outcome from chilly tomato sauce or partially cooked hen; letting the pasta bake relaxation after baking might help with this situation.
- Seasoning Enhance: Improve the hen’s taste together with your favourite seasonings earlier than cooking it.
- Spice It Up: Add chilies or pink pepper flakes to the sauce for a spicy kick.
- Meat Sauce Choice: Substitute tomato sauce with meat or bolognese sauce for a heartier meal.
- Veggie Additions: Sauté further greens like sliced carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, or kale.
- Rooster Alternate options: Change the hen items with shredded hen or use store-bought rotisserie hen.
- Vegetarian Model: For a plant-based possibility, substitute hen with oyster mushrooms, butternut squash, or broccolini.
- To Make Forward and Freeze: Make the pasta bake, let it cool to room temperature, wrap it in plastic wrap plus a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze it for as much as a month. Prepare dinner from frozen at 375ºF for an hour, or defrost in a single day and bake for 45 minutes.
- Storing Leftovers: Switch it to an hermetic container and maintain it within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat as wanted, including a sprinkle of water to refresh the pasta.
Energy: 579 kcal | Carbohydrates: 49 g | Protein: 35 g | Fats: 27 g | Saturated Fats: 11 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 11 g | Trans Fats: 0.2 g | Ldl cholesterol: 92 mg | Sodium: 836 mg | Potassium: 755 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 1764 IU | Vitamin C: 10 mg | Calcium: 332 mg | Iron: 2 mg | Internet Carbs: 46 g
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might differ based on the components and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
