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Serving of chicken pasta bake in a bowl.

Chicken Pasta Bake

This easy chicken and pasta bake recipe uses fresh summer ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and lots of cheese for a delicious hearty meal in no time.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dinner Recipes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 511 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1 pound of undercooked short noodle pasta such as rigatoni. reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water
  • 3 large fresh tomatoes ~ 6 cups diced
  • 1/2 cup sweet onion finely diced
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 large garlic cloves grated or crushed
  • 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes optional
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 cups provolone cheese shredded
  • 1 cup provolone cheese shredded for top

Instructions
 

  • In a hot large skillet add the extra virgin olive oil and onions.
  • Add the chicken, salt, and pepper and saute for 5 minutes, turning the chicken over to brown on all sides.
  • Lower to medium heat, add garlic, and stir.
  • Next add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and basil and saute for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 - 1 cup of pasta water.
  • Remove from heat and add the cheeses. Mix well.
  • Pour into a greased baking dish and sprinkle with reserved provolone cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes remove the foil and broil for 5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Notes

You can substitute a can of petite diced tomatoes if you don't have fresh tomatoes. You may not need the extra pasta water as the canned tomatoes will have extra liquid.
Substitute gemelli or penne or another short noodle. Something with ribbing is nice to hold the sauce.
Add or use a different combination of cheeses such as Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano.
You can freeze this chicken and pasta bake casserole however, I would let it thaw in the refrigerator for a day before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 41gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 578mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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