This creamy Hen Pasta Bake recipe is straightforward weeknight consolation meals! It’s constituted of tacky pasta that’s loaded with juicy hen items in zesty tomato sauce and baked till scrumptious and bubbly.
Tacky Hen Pasta Bake Recipe
This Hen Pasta Bake ticks all of the containers: Is it tacky? Sure. Full of protein? Sure. Straightforward to make on weeknights, when dinner inspiration is working 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 the whole lot is bubbly and golden. It’s the most effective. If the viral baked feta pasta is something to go off of, pasta bakes purpose to please. And this low-effort, big-flavor hen pasta bake does not disappoint.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Hen Pasta Recipe
- Taste-packed. Creamy pasta, tender hen in tomato sauce, and loads of cheese fill this pasta bake with all kinds 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 may assemble or bake the pasta forward of time and retailer or freeze it for simple reheating. Whats up, last-minute dinners!
- Customizable. Like all good casserole recipe, this hen pasta bake is completely DIY-able. Change up the flavors and components any method that you just’d like.
Find out how to Make a Hen Pasta Bake
Easy components and large taste is the secret with this hen pasta bake. Under is a fast overview of the components and steps concerned.
Recipe Elements
- Pasta: Raw penne pasta or one other quick tubular pasta works finest 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.
- Hen: 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 diet, whereas minced garlic boosts the flavors of the sauce.
- Tomato Sauce: Select your favourite jarred tomato sauce from the shop, or you need to use do-it-yourself 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 earlier than baking. This manner, all of the pasta must deal with is turning into extra-hot and tacky within the oven! One factor to remember 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 develop into too smooth and mushy after baking. Take a look at the part additional on for extra recipe suggestions.
Instructions
- Put together the pasta. Start by cooking your pasta al dente in response to 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.
- Cook dinner the hen. Saute the hen items in a skillet with olive oil till cooked by and tender.
- Mix. Subsequent, wilt the spinach in a pan with garlic, add the cooked hen, after which pour over the tomato sauce. Stir the whole lot collectively because it heats by, 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 ought to 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 Greatest Hen Pasta Bake
A pasta bake is an exquisite factor, isn’t it? You don’t should put in a complete lot of time or effort for this recipe to prove scrumptious. The next are some fast suggestions that I picked up whereas recipe testing, in case you discover them useful.
- Use freshly grated cheese every time potential. Grating the cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan contemporary from the block yields the silkiest sauce and meltiest outcomes. Pre-grated packaged cheese incorporates anti-caking brokers that forestall the cheese from melting as easily.
- Cook dinner the pasta al dente. Just remember to 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 sizzling insides calm down a little bit, 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 a number of the explanation why your hen pasta bake could also be a bit runny or watery. One might be that the tomato sauce you’re utilizing was chilly from the fridge and have become thinner because it warmed within the oven. Another excuse might be that the hen wasn’t utterly cooked by 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 a little bit. 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:
- Totally different cheeses. Mess around with totally different cheeses within the sauce. Instead of 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 present your hen bites much more taste, season them with the most effective 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 rather than the tomato sauce on this recipe for an excellent heartier dish.
- Extra veggies. You may 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 rather than the hen items. You may 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 along with your alternative of plant-based various! Strive meaty oyster mushrooms, cubed butternut squash, or sauteed broccolini.
Serving Ideas
This creamy pasta bake is an all-in-one dinner, however you possibly can completely spherical out your meal along with your favourite sides. Listed below 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 might need 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 sizzling all through.
Extra Straightforward Hen Pasta Recipes
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Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a casserole dish with baking spray, put aside.
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Cook dinner pasta in response to 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 effectively 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 performed, 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 often.
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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.
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Spoon the hen combination over the pasta contained in the baking dish and blend all of it collectively. High 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 potential, use freshly grated cheese for a smoother, meltier texture, as pre-grated variations include anti-caking brokers. You can even attempt the pasta with totally different cheeses like Pepper Jack, Monterrey Jack, or Gruyere.
- Milk: You may add roughly milk, relying on how creamy you’d prefer it to be. Additionally, you need to use heavy cream, half & half, and even cream cheese (at room temperature) as a substitute of milk.
- Pasta Preparation: Cook dinner pasta al dente – about 6 to 7 minutes – to keep away from mushiness because it continues cooking within the oven.
- Resting Time: Enable the pasta bake to relaxation after baking for simpler serving and higher consistency.
- Watery Points: A runny pasta bake may outcome from chilly tomato sauce or partially cooked hen; letting the pasta bake relaxation after baking might help with this problem.
- Seasoning Increase: Improve the hen’s taste along 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.
- Hen Options: Exchange 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. Cook 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 range in response to the components and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
