Chicken Pasta Bake
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
An easy, comforting chicken and pasta bake topped with gooey cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs is sure to please even the pickiest eater!
You will need:
  • Pasta - ½ lb (any small pasta)
  • Butter - 3 tbsp
  • Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
  • Chicken - 1 lb, boneless, cut into small chunks
  • Button mushrooms - ½ lb, halved or quartered
  • Salt - to taste
  • Black pepper - a generous pinch, freshly cracked
  • Dried oregano or basil - ½ tsp
  • Tomato-based pasta sauce - a 24-oz bottle
  • Fresh parsley - 3 tbsp, chopped
  • Grated Parmesan cheese - ¼ cup
  • Breadcrumbs - ¼ cup
  • Shredded cheese - ½ cup (Mozzarella works well)
How to:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.F.
  2. Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta till al-dente. Drain and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet. Add butter and allow it to melt.
  4. Add garlic and saute till fragrant.
  5. Now add the chicken and season with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or till lightly browned on all sides. Remove garlic and chicken to a plate. Add the mushrooms and saute till wilted and lightly fried (you should have enough fat leftover in the skillet). Remove to the plate with the chicken.
  6. Now add the pasta sauce to the skillet and stir around, scraping up any browned bits of chicken at the bottom. Add dried oregano or basil and 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley.
  7. Add the cooked pasta, browned chicken and mushroom to the pasta sauce and mix well.
  8. Transfer to a 9-inch baking dish. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly on top. Top with the shredded cheese.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes till cheese is bubbly and breadcrumbs are golden. If you wish to, you can broil for the last two minutes to crisp up the top a bit.
  10. Sprinkle the last tablespoon of parsley on top, pile onto plates and serve immediately. This casserole can be refrigerated or frozen as well.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2015/11/19/chicken-pasta-bake/